CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN GRADUATES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL AGRICULTURE SUBJECT TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN NAVAKHOLO, KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Agriculture sector is underperforming in part because women, a crucial gender contributing to farming have no sufficient knowledge and skills. To generate interest in farming at an early age, teaching of agriculture was introduced to Kenyan secondary school education system. This study, done in Navakholo sub-County, sought to establish the proportion of women graduates of KCSE Agriculture subject involved in farming and their contribution to agricultural productivity. The aim was to contribute to strategies by policy makers to enhance agricultural productivity through female education training at secondary school level. Correlational research design was used against a population of 20,000 farm families to target 8,000 women farmers of farm families. Multi-stage random sampling method was adopted to obtain a sample size of 422 women farmers. A household survey by use of a questionnaire, Focus Group Discussions by use discussion guides and key informant interviews by use of a checklist were used to collect primary data. Results from data analysis found that the proportion of women graduates of KCSE agriculture subject practising agriculture was low (25%). The KCSE women agriculture graduates’ reasons for choosing agriculture subject varied from developing practical agriculture skills to high exam performance. The study established that learning agriculture subject had a positive impact on farmer productivity (P<0.01). Teaching more practical than theory, attending extension training sessions and learning application of new technology were proposed strategies to enhance agricultural productivity. The study concluded that more girls should be encouraged to enrol for agriculture subject in secondary schools since the skills developed increased participation and agricultural productivity. The study recommended an agriculture syllabus with a practical approach to teaching and learning with emphasis on applied technology and innovations.