Home based factors contributing to drop out of girls in mixed day secondary schools in Mtito-Andei Division Kibwezi Sub-County Makueni County

Abstract

Students are the basic component for any school to be registered by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology. The retention of the students within the education system is a great challenge to all stakeholders as some may drop out before completion of a certain course. The girl-child has been faced by the problem of dropping out from school. The study sought to find out the home based factors that contribute to girls’ dropout from mixed-day secondary schools in Mtito-Andei division, Makueni County. The researcher aimed at coming up with findings and recommendations which would create awareness among the administrators and policy makers in formulating educational policies to minimize this problem. The study was guided by the following objectives: To determine the contribution of household income on girls’ drop out in Mixed-day secondary schools, to find out the extent to which family composition contribute to girls’ drop out from Mixed-day secondary schools and to establish whether parent’s level of education contributes to the drop out of girls in Mixed-day secondary schools. The research used descriptive survey design. The target population included 19 public mixed-day secondary schools in Mtito-Andei division. A proportionate random sample of 9 schools was selected for the study from the 3 zones that form Mtito-Andei division. The respondents included 228girls and 9 Form 4 class teachers. Data was collected through administration of questionnaires. Data collected was coded, cleaned and categorized manually by the researcher and processed by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). It was then analyzed using frequency distribution tables, percentages, bar graphs and pie charts. The study found out that household income, family composition and parent’s level of education positively contribute to girls’ dropout in Mixed-day secondary schools in Mtito-Andei division, Makueni County. The study further found out that poor economic growth has led to persistent poverty in Kenya, where about 50% of Kenyans live below poverty line and are therefore unable to access basic needs like food, shelter, health and education. This is because farming, the common source of income for most families, depends on the availability of rainfall. The study among others recommended that parents should consider investing in higher education of the girl child equitably to that of the boy child.