CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE STUDY
Introduction
This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, the aims and objectives of the study, research questions, significance of the study, limitations and delimitations of the study, assumptions of the study, and the operational definitions of terms.
Background of the Study
Education being the key to social and economic growth, the government of Kenya has endeavored to promote the expansion of education in public secondary schools (Kabuku, 2012). Enrolment of children in Early Childhood Development and Education Centers is a greater step towards achieving education for all. In this regard, low pre-school enrolment and poor class retention have far-reaching consequences on achieving education for all thus, it’s important to be clear about the factors associated with this.
Globally, most of the developed countries have pre-primary enrolment rates exceeding 90%. For example, United Kingdom alongside Germany, France, Norway, Denmark and Sweden are leading in pre-school enrolment of over 90% (Education at a Glance, 2012). This means that developed countries are performing well in the early childhood sector. However, in the United States, between 30% and 40% of kindergarten age children are estimated not to be ready for school due to Low parental income (Lee, &Burkman, 2002). In South Asia, 35% of all the children drop out-of-school. In Belize children are sixty
times more likely to drop-out in Grade 1 than in Grade 2 (Fiske, Unesco & Collins
Bartholomew Ltd, 2012). These children are at an increased risk of leaving school without graduating.
In Africa, the number of children enrolled in early childhood centers is still low compared to the developed countries. For example in 2007, only 10% of African children aged four to six were enrolled in any form of early childhood programme with an increase of 17% in 2010(UNESCO 2010). Even with such a significant increase, the number of children enrolled in early childhood education in African countries is still low. In east Africa for example, Ethiopia had 4.2%, Burundi 7%, Rwanda 13.3% and Tanzania 29%. The Education for All Global Monitoring Report in 2010 shows that Uganda has a gross enrolment of 2.1% in nursery schools. This is a decline from the 1999 figure which put the enrolment at 4 % (UNICEF, 2012).
According to the UNESCO (2005) Global Monitoring Report, in Guinea-Bissau, Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar and Nepal, more than half the children who enrolled in primary schools repeated first grade or dropped out. These findings indicate that there is a major crisis during the first critical years of primary education across many parts of the developing world. Many children are dropping-out altogether or repeating classes and the vast majority do so within the first two years. The problem is at its worst in countries where poverty, exclusion and other systemic factors exacerbate the situation (Fiske, UNESCO & Collins Bartholomew Ltd, 2012).
Draper (2008) notes that low pre-school enrolment rates in Africa may be explained by high levels of poverty, inadequate health as well as nutrition and cultural practices. According to Robert (2010) Socio-economic status depends on a combination of
variables, including occupation, education, income, wealth, and place of residence. One major reason why these parental influences may impact so strongly on children is because the children spend more than ninety percent of their time from infancy throughout their childhood outside school under the influence of their parents (UNESCO, 2008).
In Kenya, majority of the parents are aware of the importance of providing Early Childhood Education (ECE) but their inability to meet the cost is a challenge to date (KIE, 2005). According to the policy framework on ECE, parental socio economic factors have compromised the abilities of parents to give financial support for the early child Education. These findings are consistent with Kituta (2003) in her research in Shimba Hills in Kwale district that indicated that the majority of the parents do not participate in ECD activities because of financial constraints.
Officially, in Kenya children aged three to five years are expected to be enrolled in ECDE centres. These children are considered eligible for enrolment such that by the age of six they proceed to standard one. Despite the Government policy, currently a large percentage (65 %) of the pre-school children in Kenya is not attending early childhood education inclusively. Pre-school enrolment in Kenya is even much lower when compared to other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arab States, the Central Asia and South and West Asia (UNESCO, 2010).
One of the areas where Low enrolment and retention is evident is Bureti Sub-county. According to statistics from the Office of Kericho County, Education office (2013) the enrolment in early childhood education in 2009 was at 44.2%, in 2010 it decreased to
43.5%, 2011 to 42%, an increase in 2012 to 49.64% and in 2013 to 50.14%.Though this statistics represents a good development, it still means that only about half of the children in Bureti have access to ECDE services. This is far below the 60% of MOE 2010 target according to situational analysis final report September (2008).
In spite of the efforts made in Education in Kenya, a number of challenges still persist. These include cost of Education, inequalities and inequity in access to Education, high wastage rates, under-enrolment, grade retention and problem of relevance and quality of Education. The goal to make enrolment in early childhood education compulsory may not be achieved if factors contributing to low enrolment in the ECDE centers are not identified and addressed (Okuom, et al., 2012). For this purpose, the study was designed to assess the effects of parental socio-economic factors on enrolment and retention of preschools in Early Childhood Education.
Statement of the Problem
While there is consensus internationally among education stakeholders that ECDE places children at a better start for primary education and give them a better chance for achievements later in life, the importance of ECDE is yet to be appreciated. This can be explained by low enrolment in early childhood Education especially in Sub Saharan Africa where the situation is worse with only 40% of children access to ECDE. The situation in Kenya may not be far different from that of Sub Saharan Africa. While there has been an increase in ECDE enrolment in Kenya that is from 35% in 2003 to 60.9% in 2010, a large proportion of pupils who enrol in primary school do not complete the eight- year cycle within the prescribed minimum period and a significant number do not
complete the cycle at all resulting to high wastage in the region. The completion rate of the primary cycle in Bureti Sub-county is 80%. The primary school enrolment in Bureti district was 92% by 2010, which is relatively low as compared to the net enrolment of South-Rift counties, which was 98.3% on the average by the year 2007. Statistics also revealed that drop-out rate in the sub-county is comparatively higher than most of the regions in Kericho County.
This study therefore investigated parental socio-economic characteristics including parents’ level of income, education and parental occupation, and strategies to improve enrolment and retention of primary school pupils in Bureti sub-county, Kericho County.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to determine the influence of parents’ socio- economic factors on enrollment and retention of pre-primary school pupils in Bureti sub- county, Kericho County.
Objectives of the study
This study was guided by the following objectives:
- To establish the socio-economic characteristics of parents of pre-primary school pupils in Bureti sub-County, Kericho County
- To establish whether parent socio-economic factors influence enrolment and retention of pre-primary school pupils in Bureti sub-County, Kericho County
- To determine strategies to be put in place to improve enrolment and retention of pre-primary school pupils in Bureti sub-county, Kericho county
