Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Factors Affecting Education of Girls in Secondary Schools, A case of Mogori District,Nyanza Province

Abstract

The situation of the girl child in the country remains critical and their right to quality basic education continues to be violated. There are many factors interacting with each other to constrain female participation and sustainability in education and so the poor enrolment and performance of girls in most secondary schools. The situation is not any different in Migori District, Nyanza Province. This study was to investigate the factors that affect the education of girls in secondary schools of Migori District. The study was a survey; whose main independent variable was factors affecting education while the dependent variable was education of girls in secondary school. The target population consisted of all the girls in secondary schools of Migori District. A sample was taken to represent the population. The schools were categorized into girls’ only schools and co- educational schools. There were 9 girls-only schools and 36 co-educational schools in the district, all with a population of about 3,500 girls. Stratified sampling was used to select 4 girls’ schools out of the available 9 and 12 mixed schools out of the 36 in the district. The teacher-counselors in the selected 16 schools were included in the study. Data collection was done by use of questionnaires. Statistical Programme for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data The findings of the research were; that a number of girls have dropped out of the sampled schools to get married; that the parents do not provide adequate moral and financial support to their girls. It also established that girls in the bigger, boarding schools perform better than their coimterparts in the smaller mixed schools. The guidance and counseling departments in the schools support the girls in their education but more effort should be put into improving the counseling services in the schools, particularly in capacity building. The information lrom this research can be used to chart ways of supporting as well as improving the education of girls.