Girl Child Education And Academic Performance In Ainabkoi Zone Eldoret East District, Uasin Gishu County Rift Valley Province, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Kenya recognizes education for girls and women as a tool, for empowering them and as a fundamental human right. There is an improvement in the overall literacy for both males and females thus nanowing the gap between them. However, despite their awareness, the national enrollment figures in primary schools camouflage regional variations that pose a challenge to the national achievement. The main goal of closing the gender literacy gap will not therefore be achieved without focusing attention on the girl child education in the under privileged regions in the counhy. There is evidence that free primary education is faced with several challenges likewise to the girl-child education. and academic performance. This study sets out to highlight the major gender and education challenges facing the girl-child education in Ainabkoi zone, Eldoret East district, Uasin Gishu County, Rift Valley Province in Kenya. The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges facing girl-child education and academic performance in Ainabkoi zone is specifically aimed at finding out the economic and socio-cultural factors that tend to affect girlchild education and academic performance. This will eventually identify the challenges affecting the achievement facing girl-child education for all and proposes positive actions for mitigation of the situation so as to establish whether there are existing strategies for addressing the challenges facing girl-child education and how to uplift girl's education. The study will therefore be made of a descriptive and exploratory design in which both qualitative and quantitative methods used in collecting the data from the children (pupils), head teachers and parents on the challenges facing girl-child education and academic perfotmance. The researcher will target thirteen primary schools which has a population of five thousand eight hundred and forty one (5841) pupils. The number of respondents who were given the questionnaires will constitute two hundred and forty (240) which were spread equally to all the thirteen schools in the zone. The method to be used while collecting the data included the use of questionnaires interviews, observation and examination records. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................. i                                  APPROVAL ................................................................................................................................... ii                              DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii         ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................. iv                                  TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ v                                      LIST OF ABBREVIATION .......................................................................................................... ix                          DEFINITION OF TERMS .............................................................................................................. x                          ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................ xiii                                  CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................ 1                  INTRODUCTION ..............................•...........................................•.............................................. 1                                          1.0. Background ofthe Study ...................................................................................................... 1                                      1.1. Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................... 3                              1.2.0. Objectives of the Study/Purpose of the Study .................................................................. 3                          1.2.1. General Objective ............................................................................................................. 3                                      1.2.2 Specific Objectives ............................................................................................................ 4                                      1.2.3 Research questions ............................................................................................................. 4                                  1.2.4 Significance of the study .................................................................................................... 4                                  1.2.5 The scope of the study ....................................................................................................... 5                                  1.2.6. The content scope ......................................................................................................... 5                                      1.2.7. Time Scope ................................................................................................................... 5                                          1.2.8. Geographical scope ...................................................................................................... 5                                          1.3. Limitation of the study ......................................................................................................... 6                                      1.4. Delimitation ......................................................................................................................... 6                              CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 7                                     LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 7                                          2.0. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7                                      2.1.0. Factors that limit the parents from investing in education of their daughters ................... 7              2.1.1. Negative attitude towards the education of girl child ....................................................... 7                      2.1.2 Literacy levels of the parents ............................................................................................. 7                              2.1.3. The value of educating girl child ...................................................................................... 8                              2.2.0. The causes of girl child dropout... ..................................................................................... 9                              2.2.1. Children heading families/child mothers .......................................................................... 9                          2.2.2. Children affected and infected by HIV/AIDS ................................................................. 10                          2.2.3. Separation of parents/divorce .......................................................................................... 10                              2.2.4. Orphaned children ........................................................................................................... 11                                  2.2.5. Child Labour ................................................................................................................... 12                                      2.2.6. Early marriage ................................................................................................................. 12                                  2.2.7. Lack of role models ......................................................................................................... 12                                  2.3.0. The factors that affect the enrolment rate of girls into primary schools ......................... 13                      2.3 .1. Late entrance to school ................................................................................................... 13                              2.3.2. Combination of poverty, traditional cultural practices ................................................... 13                              2. 3. 3. HIV /AIDS pandemic .................................................................................................... 13                                  2.3.4. Child negligence ............................................................................................................. 14                                      2.3.5. Denial of education ......................................................................................................... 14                                  2.3.6. School work load ............................................................................................................ 14                                  2.3.7. Poverty ............................................................................................................................ 14                                      2.4.0. Factors that affect the academic perfmmance of the girl child ....................................... 15                  2.4.1. Distance from home to school ........................................................................................ 15                              2.4.2. Gender distribution of teachers ....................................................................................... 15                              2.4.3. Motivation ....................................................................................................................... 15                                      2.4.4. Lack of gender sensitization ........................................................................................... 16                              2.4.5. Gender insensitive school environments ......................................................................... 16                          2.4.6. Gender stereotypes .......................................................................................................... 16                                  2.4.7. Teachers workload .......................................................................................................... 16                                  2.4.7. Absenteeism among teachers .......................................................................................... 17                              2.4.8. Media influence on character and performance .............................................................. 17                      2.5.0. Summary ......................................................................................................................... 17                              CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... l9                              RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 19                                          3.0. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 19                                      3.1. Research Design ................................................................................................................. 19                                      3.2. Study Population ................................................................................................................ 19                                      3.3. Sample Population ............................................................................................................. 19                                      3.4. Sampling Procedure ........................................................................................................... 19                                  3.1.0. Methods ofData .............................................................................................................. 20                                          3 .1.1 Observation Checklist ...................................................................................................... 20                                     3 .1.2. Interview Guide ............................................................................................................... 20                                  3.1.3. Questionnaires ................................................................................................................. 20                                  3.1.4. Existing Literature ........................................................................................................... 20                                      3.5. Data analysis .................................................................................................................. 21                                  CHAPTER FOUR ....................................................................................................................... 22                                     DATA PRESANTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATOIN ...................................... 22                                          4.0. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 22                                      4 .1 Demographic characteristics of respondents ....................................................................... 22                         4.2. Response of Girl child pertaining challenges facing girl child education ......................... 24                  4.4.5. K.C.P.E performance from 2006-2010 by Gender ......................................................... 26                          4.4.6. Pupils' general response based on challenges facing the in the process of their learning ··················································································································································· 27                                              4.4. 7 Parents responses based on challenges facing their children ........................................... 28                  4.4.8 Pupils' responses on academic level of adults (parents) .................................................. 29                  4.4.9. Teachers response based on ways of uplifting girl child education and performance ............................................................................................................................. 30                                                          4.5.0. Overall candidates' performance per subject and gender ............................................... 32                      4.5.1. K.C.P.E. 2010 Overall candidates by Gender in Rift Valley Province ........................... 32                     4.5.2. KCSE Academic performance by gender at higher levels oflearners ....................... 33                  CHAPTER FIVE ......................................................................................................................... 36                         DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ................... 36                                  5.0. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 36                                          5.2.0 Summary of the findings ............................................................................................ 36                                      5.2.1 Factors that limit the parents from investing in the education of their daughters ...... 36                     5.2.2. Causes of drop out from school among girls .............................................................. 37                              5.2.3. Factors affecting enrolment of girls into primary schools .......................................... 38                          5.2.4. Challenges that affect academic performance of the girl child .................................. 39                         5.3.0. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 39                                          5.4.0. Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 41                                      5.4.1. Factors that limit the parents from investing in the education of their daughters ...... 41                  5.4.2. Causes of drop out from school among girls .............................................................. 42                              5.4.3. Factors affecting the enrolment of girls into primary schools .................................... 42                      5.4.4. Challenges that affect academic performance of girl child ........................................ 42              REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 43                          APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................. 44                                  APPENDIX 1: ORDER OF RESEARCH ................................................................................ 44                              APPENDIX II: BUDGET ......................................................................................................... 45                                      APPENDIX III: QUESTIONNAIRE GUIDE FOR HEAD TEACHER'S ............................. 46                                  APPENDIX IV .......................................................................................................................... 51                          QUESTIONNAIRE GUIDE FOR TEACHERS ....................................................................... 51 APPENDIXV: QUESTIONNAIRE GUIDE FOR CHILDREN ............................................. 54 APPENDIX VI: QUESTIONNAIRES GUIDES FOR PARENTS ......................................... 57 APPENDIX VII: APPROVAL LETTER: RESEACH PROJECT .......................................... 60 APPENDIX VIII: APPROVAL LETTER: AUTHORTY TO CARRY OUT RESEACH ..... 61 APPENDIX IX: MAP OF AINABKOI ZONE, ELDORET EAST DISTRICT, SHOWING SCHOOLS IN WHICH THE RESEACHER VISTED ............................................................ 62