Influence of Gender Disparity on the Management and Provision of Free Primary and Secondary School Education in Kisumu County -Kenya.

Abstract

History of education reveals that gender-mainstreaming has been such a problematic issue to handle, especially in relation to school factors and home backgrounds. Enrolment of girls in schools compared to that of boys has been consistently low. Further to that, girls retained in schools face more challenges that have led to some dropping out of school or performing very poorly academically. The study was based on literature review of the studies that have previously been done by various scholars, and the review revealed that, each year about 11.3% of female students drop out of school in Kisumu County. These figures are higher than the national rate of 8.9%. From the scenario of this study, there was need to establish causes of low retention rate of girls in schools of Kisumu County, with a view of reducing dropout rates and retaining them in all the schools. The study established that home related factors, personal factors, the community factors, environment and school factors do influence retention of girls in schools. It was recommended that the Ministry of Education sustain the reforms that have so far seen schools become better environments than homes of students and it should build more boarding schools for girls at lower rates so that they are retained in their schools longer. Awareness in education should be conducted to change their attitude and the government to provide sanitary towels to the girls in primary and secondary schools. The study concluded that the most significant factor, that of low retention of girls in primary and secondary schools in Kisumu County, was the highest and it stood at 26.4%.To reverse this worrying trend, a lot of efforts and energy should be put on Guidance and Counseling, more attention be directed to truancy, attitude of girls towards school, rate of pregnancy and management of monthly period.