Social and Economic Conflicts Influencing Students’ Participation in Secondary School Education in Kakamega County, Kenya

Philip Wanjala Mukonyi ,Crispinous Iteyo

doi:10.7176/jep/11-14-13

Abstract

The importance of education in contemporary world order cannot be gainsaid. Education is the first step towards human empowerment and plays vital role in the development of human capital that is imperative in the modern technological and knowledge economy. This study set out to investigate the nature of social and economic conflicts affecting students’ participation in secondary school education in Kakamega County. It used a conceptual model where social and economic conflicts as represented by poverty and drug and substance abuse on one side and effects on students’ participation in secondary school education on the other. The measurable indicators for participation were enrolment, retention, progression and completion of secondary school education. The research design adopted for this study was ex post facto in which cross cultural survey and correlational design were used. The study population was 20274 students in county and sub county schools in the three sampled sub counties of Kakamega North, Mumias East and Kakamega East; 63 principals, 63 guiding and counselling teachers, parents and guardians, religious leaders, chiefs, NG-CDF managers and Sub County Directors of education. Purposive sampling was used to select the three sub counties, stratified random sampling was used to select the schools while purposive, simple random and stratified random sampling were used to identify all other respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews schedules and FGD. Data were analysed using the SPSS programme to identify the nature of social and economic conflicts and determine their prevalence within the study area. Correlation coefficients were used to assess the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables. The multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of independent variables on dependent variable. The findings indicated that social and economic conflicts were prevalent in the study area and significantly affected students’ participation in secondary school education in Kakamega County. Keywords: social and economic conflicts, participation, secondary school DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-14-13 Publication date: May 31 st 2020

Highlights

IntroductionIn the current era of globalization and technological revolution, education is a first and crucial rung in human empowerment
The importance of education in contemporary world order cannot be gainsaid
The results indicate that broken family units with a mean rank of 1.45 was the most severe social conflict, followed by orphan hood at 1.68, boy girl relationship at position three with a mean rank of 1.77, teenage marriage with a mean rank of 2.9, initiation ceremonies with mean rank of 3.52 and HIV and AIDS with a mean rank of 3.95 was found to have the least effect on students’ participation in secondary school education in Kakamega county. 4.1.3 Economic conflicts The economic conflicts as used in this study included poverty and child labour

Summary

Introduction

In the current era of globalization and technological revolution, education is a first and crucial rung in human empowerment. It plays a pivotal role in the development of human capital and is invariably linked with an individual’s well-being and opportunities for better living (Geremew and Dhufera, 2015). Education basically entails the acquisition of knowledge and skills that enable individuals to increase their productive capacity and improve their quality of life. The increase in productivity, expands the sources of earning thereby leading to national economic growth (Farooq, 2015). Education is recognised as a fundamental human right as enshrined in the 1948 United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) article 26 and consequent international protocols. Low levels of education have been shown to positively correlate with high mortality, fertility, and poverty at both household and national levels (UNESCO 2010; Tilak 2007)

Methods

Results

Conclusion