HOME, SCHOOL AND PERSONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING GIRLS’ COMPLETION RATES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NYANDARUA SOUTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Abstract The government of Kenya has come up with various girl-child friendly education policies. However, despite these policies, girl-child participation rate in primary school education still lags behind that of boys in Nyandarua south sub-county. Various reasons have been given for this state of affairs. However, no scientific research has been carried out in this Sub-county to find out the factors that could be undermining girl- child education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which home, school and personal–based factors (independent variables) could be influencing girl-child completion rate (dependent variable) in primary school education in Nyandarua south Sub-county, Kenya. The study, which was based on theory of discrimination and theory of deprivation, used ex-post facto research design. The sample comprised 144 primary schools‟ head teachers randomly selected out of the total 240 primary schools in the Sub-county based on Krejcie and Morgan‟s table for determining sample sizes from given populations. Data were collected through a self-delivered questionnaire to the sampled head teachers. Validity of the instrument was estimated by consulting the supervisors. Reliability was computed using Cronbach‟s alpha co-efficient. Cronbach‟s alpha co-efficient of 0.7 was realized. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program version 20.0. The data analysis entailed computation of percentages through frequency counts in regard to nominal scale data and also subjection of data to inferential statistics specifically Pearson‟s correlation coefficient and simple regression analysis at .05 alpha level. The latter analysis aimed at establishing the extent to which the aforementioned independent variables could be linked to low girl-child completion rates in primary school education in the study area. Findings from the study revealed that personal, school and home-based factors were significantly undermining girls‟ completion rates in primary education at 0.5 level of significance. From the study‟s findings the following recommendations were made; that the government, both at national and county levels and all educational stakeholders deal with home, school pupils‟ personal factors that act as barriers to girls‟ successful primary school completion; girls be equipped with necessary life skills and parents be actively involved in their daughters education.