Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Students’ Dropout Rates In Public Secondary Schools In Msambweni Sub-County, Kwale County, Kenya

Abstract

Secondary school education was subsidized by the government in order to ensure that students acquire quality education. However, dropout is still a challenge in achieving this goal. This study was geared towards finding out socio-economic determinants affecting students’ dropout rates in public secondary schools in Msambweni Sub-County, Kwale County, Kenya. The objectives were: to determine extent to which child labor affect dropout in schools, to examine the extent to which family size influences dropout in secondary schools, to examine how tuition fees affect dropout of students, to determine how the level of income of the parents affect students dropout in secondary school. The research was carried out through survey design and information presented using various forms like: graphs, tables and charts. 10 secondary schools, 59 teachers, 10 head teachers and 177 students in Msambweni Sub- County was used was used as the sample. Research instruments consisted of interview schedule and the questionnnaires. The study revealed that amongst the students involved in child labor, 37.5% engage in illicit sexual activities with tourist, 25% operate bodaboda, 25% are either employed as domestic worker or carry out family activities and the remaining 12.5% engage in other activities like farming and hawking. It came out that 62% of the families are overcrowded because they have more than 4 children to educate. The study established that most (29%) of the parents are unemployed and 37.5% of them earned less than 10 thousand shillings. From the findings it is clear that child labor, large household size, low level of earnings of parents and high tuition fees lead to students’ dropout in secondary schools in Msambweni. The study therefore called for collaborative efforts by government and other players in the education sector to provide civic education, policy review and relevant law enactment in order to reduce dropout in secondary schools in Msambweni Sub Count