Effects of Educational Fundings on Retention and Dropout of Students in Public Secondary Schools in Seme Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Kenya government has initiated a number of education investment fundings such as Free Tuition Secondary Education, Constituency Development Fund and District Education Board Bursary in secondary schools in an attempt to promote retention and reduce dropout rate among the students.  However,the national dropout rate of students in secondary schools in Kenya was 42,272 (7.8 percent) and retention rate was 419,608 (76.7 percent). In Seme Sub-County, the proportion of 16 and 17 year old without access to education was 2,257 (9.1 percent) of the total number of secondary school going age 5,883 (26.1 percent) dropped out without completing secondary school. The purpose of this study was determine retention and drop-out rate of students in public secondary schools in Seme Sub County. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. All the thirty (30) public secondary schools in the Seme Sub-County were included in the study. The study found that there was high retention rate among the students and low dropout rate because of the availability of various government education educational funding’s. Similarly, the number of students who dropped out of school due to lack of school fees between 2009 to 2013 had dropped, with most of the school principals registering less than 25% of dropout rate.

Keywords: Bursary; Funding’s: Dropouts rates; Retention Rates

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-12-12

Publication date: April 30^th 2019