Influence of household income level on secondary school dropout in Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to examine the extent to which household income level influences the dropout rate from day secondary schools in Murang'a East Sub-County. This study employed structural strain theory and school dropout and poor family socialization theory and drop outing. The study took pragmatic research philosophy and a descriptive research design to study the phenomena in Murang’a East Sub-County. Using questionnaires, data relating to socio-economic data were collected from about 300 dropouts from Murang’a East Sub-Sub-County who were selected using a convenient and snowballing sampling technique.  The research established that the level of household income has a bearing on secondary school dropout from Murang’a East Sub-County. The research concludes that secondary school drop outing has a significant drawback to the educational goals and objectives. Secondary school education continues to be a vital investment despite the challenge of drop out. Most of the students who drop out of secondary schools are social and economic reasons. The study recommends that the government should increase the allocations to the most vulnerable students. Also, the CBOs and NGOs to step in and offer such students the supply of social amenities such as sanitary towels. More efforts should be focused on sensitizing the importance of secondary school education and advocating for child labour to be dealt with fiercely.