FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENTS’ RETENTION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAKAMEGA MUNICIPALITY, KAKAMEGA COUNTY

Abstract

The fourth UN Quality Priority states that education is the key to achieving more Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), although urbanization factors limit student retention. World economies support the advancement of education. The Kenyan government is committed to the Education for All initiative. This progress, however, is undermined by the issue of access to primary school education. Any obstacle that impedes learning weakens not only the educational objective but also the growth and development of children. So, it is essential to identify the factors that contribute to Kenya's low Primary school retention rates. The goal of this study was to examine the factors influencing students’ retention in primary and secondary in Schools in Kakamega Municipality. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the extent of urban sprawl on students’ retention in primary and secondary schools; examine the relationship between urbanization and students’ retention in primary and secondary schools and evaluate the effects of urbanization on students’ retention in primary and secondary schools in Kakamega Municipality. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The target population for the study was 99,987 this population comprised of municipality residents, primary school pupils, secondary school students, Education officers, principals, urban administrator and parents from low, middle and high residential parts of the municipality. The study used quota sampling for urban residents, stratified sampling for schools, pupils and students. A sample size of 177 respondents was used for the study. Data collection instruments included; questionnaires, interview guides and focus group discussion. A pilot study was carried out in three residential areas in Bungoma municipality in order to test the validity of the instruments. Data was analyzed using statistics package for social sciences (SPSS) version (20). The study established that drug abuse leads to children dropping out of school as confirmed by 46% response which was evident from police cases of drop out due to alcohol and drug abuse by students. Also, poor income by parents results to low school retention as children engage in cheap labor with their parents for school fees. This is confirmed by low class respondents of whom majority earn between 10,000 -30,000 (42%) and below 10,000 (26%) and as result there is low retention in education by their children at (6%). Finally, good means of transport such as using bus or cars to school enhances children retention in school while poor means like walking for long distance leads to school dropout as established in this study. Child’s retention rate in school is low in the poor social class than other classes and this is attributed to their parent’s financial constraints and environmental factors. The study recommends that drug abuse in the municipality be controlled, counseling services should be availed by institutions and operationalized by professionals in schools, measures should be put in place to control the use of recreational facilities, more employment opportunities should be created for middle and majority low income classes by reserving specific jobs in the county for these groups to enable better access of these groups child’s retention in education . Additionally, the national and county governments should collaboratively establish more policies on transport for school going children in urban centers.