INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL FACTORS ON PUPILS’ TRANSITION FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Increasing the transition rate from primary to secondary schools is critical to the creation of the anticipated middle and high level manpower required for Kenya to attain middle income status by 2030. The national average transition rate of pupils from primary to secondary schools for Kenya stood at 76.6% by 2013 but falls below global standards and the national target. In Nakuru County, transition rate has stagnated at about 50% and decreased to 48.6% despite the inception of Free Primary Education in 2003, Free Day Secondary Education in 2008 and there being several vacancies in secondary schools within the County. This study sought to investigate the extent to which cultural factors influence pupils’ transition rate from primary to secondary schools. The study applied ex-post facto research design. A sample of 406 respondents (42 head teachers and 364 teachers) was selected through stratified random sampling. The sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using the linear regression analysis where hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of significance. Cultural factors such as include gender preference in education, girls’ exposure to sexuality leading to teenage pregnancies, and boy circumcision were found to have a statistically significant negative influence on pupil transition rate to secondary school using data from both head teachers (β= -.724) and teachers (β= -.461) when controlling for school-based and family socio-economic factors. The study recommends that the government and other stakeholders should address negative cultural practices particularly gender preference in education, boy circumcision and early marriages.