| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of head teachers in curbing drop out of pupils from public primary school in 1siolo District. It also sought to establish the cause of pupils' dropout from public primary schools in Isiolo District and if there was any relationship between the gender of the head teachers of public primary schools in lsio!o District and the dropout rates in their schools.
The study was conducted using an ex-post facto research design and had questionnaires prepared for both the head teachers and the class eight pupils. The questionnaires were used for data collection The questionnaire for the head teachers consisted of two pans Pan A consisted of four questions and part R had six questions Similarly the pupils' questionnaire consisted of tv"'o pans Pan A had five questions and part B had eight questions
The study targeted head teachers and class eight pupils in the seventy three primary schools in the district. Thirty schools were used and simple random selection was used to determine the schools to constitute the sample In total thirty head teachers and four hundred and sixty pupils participated in the study.
The data collected was analysed using percentages, frequencies, rank and mode Causes of dropout among pupils as perceived by the head teachers were ranked in their order from the strongest cause to the least cause Percentages and frequencies were used to determine causes of dropout among pupils according to the pupils Further to this, percentages and frequencies were used to establish the relationship between the gender of the head teachers and }he dropout rates in their schools .
Additionally, mode and frequencies were used to establish the roles performed by the head teachers in curbing dropouts of pupils from public primary schools in Isiolo District .This was analysed in terms of roles performed very frequently against the roles that were either rarely performed or not performed at all.
The analysis of data revealed several factors that contribute to dropout among pupils in public primary schools in the District. Economic hardship ranked top as the main cause of dropout of pupils from public primary schools in' the District . This was followed by weak academic performance in school and lack of motivation to learn Conflict between pupils and teachers was not rated highly as a cause of dropout among pupils in public primary schools in lsiolo District It ranked bottom
According to the data collected the following strategies can be used by headteachers
to curb dropout of pupils from public primary schools in the district These are administrative roles that the study revealed are either rarely performed or never performed by the head teachers The administrative roles that are rarely performed and can be used to curb dropouts of pupils from primary schools in lsiolo District included strengthening of co-surricular activities, liaison with non-governmental organisations, working closely with the provincial administration, projecting of pupils enrolments and reporting information on dropout to various agencies Administrative roles that have been completely neglected by head teachers and yet are useful strategies in curbing dropouts include participation in community development programmes and health awareness programmes in schools.
In addition, the study revealed that very few women were head teachers of public primary schools. To be precise only twenty seven percent of the primary schools are headed by women. Notably, these female head teachers described dropout rates in their schools as low whereas most male head teachers described dropout rates in their schools as high This therefore reveals that there seem to be a relationship between the gender of the head teachers and the dropout rates in their schools Schools headed by female teachers experience a lower dropout rates compared to schools headed by male head teachers
In view of the findings of the study the following recommendations were made among others More funding, equipment and bursaries should be directed to primary schools in Isiolo District Second, co-curricular activities should be strengthened in schools. Third there is need to have more women head teachers in lsiolo District to act as role models to the !earner<;_ FOl!!1h, head teachers should continue to strengthen
guidance and counselling in schools | en |
