Universalisation of primary education (UPE) has been a global issue since the early sixties, yet several decades later and even in the 21 st century, many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are still grappling with it. Unlike their counterparts in the developed world, its realisation in developing countries has been faced with a myriad of constraints. Kenya has a long standing commitment to providing educational access to its primary school going children. This has been reflected in the country’s Economic Plans, Sessional papers and other development plans. Most importantly, Kenya acknowledges provision of basic education for its citizens as a human right, as is enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya (2010). Furthermore, Kenyan citizens have a right to free and compulsory education as is stipulated in the Basic Education Bill of 2012. Moreover, Vision2030 has acknowledged education as a component of the social pillars. Although the first step towards this was articulated by the Kenyan government immediately after independence in 1963 and later in 2003, little has been done to establish the extent to which Universal Primary Education has been advanced in Kenya. Therefore, there is need to do stock taking of the advancements made towards this goal. Furthermore, examining of the obstacles that have persistently hindered its success over the years is critical for realisation of universal education. This paper will therefore address the extent to which universalisation of primary education has contributed to advancement of access to basic education and the obstacles that have hindered its success.

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Universal Primary Education in Kenya: Advancement and Challenges.

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Societal factors and behaviour maladjustment of the boy-child: a case of boys in selected rehabilitation institutions in nairobi and kiambu counties, kenya

Universal primary education (UPE) is a crucial strategy for the global target of 'Education for All', but several countries failed to meet the 2015 mark. This study investigated parents' perceptions of UPE in Kotido District, Uganda. Data were collected during face to face interviews from 36 purposively selected parents who had school-age children. The results indicate that whilst parents perceived UPE positively, only 13 (36.1%) had all their school-age children enrolled in primary schools. The reasons which influenced parents' decisions were socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural. The study also revealed that 32 (88.9%) parents had not attained formal education, which may have influenced their perceived value of education and their choices to enrol children in UPE. Also, parents were cynical about the survival of Karimojong pastoralist culture with the successful implementation of UPE. This study contributes to the understanding of factors that influence access to primary education and recommends more parental involvement in designing further education strategies that suit marginalised communities worldwide.

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Parents' perceptions of universal primary education in Kotido District, Uganda

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between student cognitive engagement and academic achievement of secondary school students of Manga Sub County, Nyamira County, Kenya. The study was hinged on the Self Determination theoretical perspective. The mixed methods approach was employed, and within it, the concurrent triangulation design was adopted. From the target population of 1750 form four students, 35 Principals and 35 Guidance and Counselling teachers, 312 students (out of 316 expected), 11 Principals and 11 Guidance and counselling teachers were randomly sampled for the study. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the students, while interview schedules were used to collect data from Principals and Guidance and Counselling teachers. The validity of the research instruments was determined by experts from the department of Psychology and Educational Foundations of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. Reliability was ascertained by the internal consistency method using Cronbach’s alpha, and a reliability coefficient of r above 0.7 was obtained for the questionnaire. Inferential statistics from quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson’s Product correlation and regression analysis with the aid of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22. Qualitative data from interviews were analyzed thematically. The study revealed that cognitive engagement was a significant predictor of academic achievement among secondary school students studied (r=.376, N=312, p =.01. The study recommended that school based teacher counsellors should utilize cognitive behavioural therapy techniques during counselling sessions with students in school in order to enhance cognitive engagement.

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Relationship between Cognitive Engagement and Academic Achievement among Kenyan Secondary School Students

A Research Project Submitted to the School of Education in Partial Fulfilment for the Award of the Degree of Master of Education of Kenyatta University. December, 2016

Impact of Cultural Practices on Enrolment and Retention of Girl-Child in Public Primary Schools in Samburu County, Kenya

Education plays a key role in human development through the process of empowering people to improve their well being and participation in national building. Dropout however poses a serious threat to gains in education despite the Government emphasis on Education for All by the year 2015. In Igembe District the problem is more pronoused among the male children. The study used the ex-post facto research design. The target and accessible population constituted of educational officers, head teachers, guidance and counseling teachers and pupils. A sample size of 364 was used for the study.This study sought information on causes of dropout among boys and strategies that could be adopted to address this problem. The study established that dropout of male pupils was a common problem that required urgent attention. The major factors leading to dropout included; child labour, family instability, initiation, drug abuse and lack of role models. The study recommends affirmative action for the boy child, abolishing of child labour and initiation of boys after completion of primary school as strategies that could address dropout among male pupils.

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Dropout among Male Pupils in Primary Schools of Igembe District, Kenya

Education plays a key role in human development through the process of empowering people to improve their well being and participation in national building. Drop out however poses a serious threat to gains in education despite the government emphasis on education for all by the year 2015. In Igembe sub County the problem is more pronounced among the male children.  This study sought information on causes of drop out among boys and strategies that could be adopted to address the problem. The study established that drop out of male pupils was a common problem that required urgent attention. The major factors leading to drop out included: child labor, family instability, initiation, drug abuse and lack of role models.  The study recommends affirmative action for the boy child, abolishing of child labor and initiation of boys only after completion of primary school as strategies that could address dropout among male pupils. Keywords: Dropout, Male pupils, Primary Schools

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Misheck M. M’muyuri

Papers

Dropout among Male Pupils in Primary Schools of Igembe District, Kenya

Socio-Economic and Religious Factors Contributing to Drop Out Among Male Pupils in Primary Schools of Igembe Sub County, Kenya