THE EFFECTS OF FAMILY POVERTY ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PUPILS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KAMWANGI DIVISION THIKA DISTRICT KENYA FRANCIS KANYA MWANGI BED 13362/61/DF A REPORT SUBMITED TO THE INSTITUTE OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING KAMPALA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELORS DEGREE IN EARLY CfflLDHOOD AND PRIMARY EEDUCATION DECEMBER 2008 DECLARATION I Kanya Francis, do here by declare that the work contained in this report is original and my own and has never been presented to any learning institution for any award. Si~ ~ Kanya Francis BED 13362/61/DF Date APPROVAL This report on the Effects of Family Poverty on Academic Performance of Pupils in primary schools has been under my supervision and is now ready for examination of the institute of open and distance learning Kampala International University as a requirement of partial fulfillment of the award of Bachelor’s degree in early childhood and primary education. Sign ~ SUPERVISOR: MISS ONEGO ROSELINE Date !2~.../j.Qr.LQ~ DEDICATION This report is dedicated to my family which has endured the loneliness while I was away for education. 111 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to extend my gratitude to all people who gave me financial, physical, emotional, educational and technical support during my entire course at Kampala international University in Uganda. This gratitude goes particularly to my supervisor Miss Onego, friends, and course mates that continuously gave me unconditional support. May the good Lord bless you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration Approval ii Dedication Acknowledgement iv Table of contentsç V List of tables vii Acronyms Vifi Abstract ix CHAPTER ONE1 INTRODUCTION1 1.1 Background to the study 1 1.2 Problem statement 3 1.3 Objectives of the study 3 1.3.2 General objective 3 1.3.3 Specific objectives 3 1.4 Research questions 4 1.5 Scope of the study 4 1.6 Significance of the Study 4 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction 5 2.1 Family Poverty among Different Households 5 2.2 Academic Performance between Government and Private Primary Schools 7 2.3 Relationship between academic performance and family poverty 8 CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction 11 3.1 The study population 11 3.2 Sampling design 11 3.3 Sample size determination 11 3.4 Instruments of the Study 12 3.5 Data management 12 3.6 Data processing and Analysis 12 CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 4.1 Introduction 13 4.2 Quantitative analysis 13 4.3 Level of family poverty among different household in Thika District 17 4.4 Level of Academic Performance Among Government and Private Primary Schools in Kamwangi Division in Thika District 19 V 4.5 The Relationship between Family Poverty and Academic Performance of Different Primary School 21 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.0 Introduction 23 5.1 Summary 23 5.2 Conclusions 24 5.3 Recommendations 24 REFERENCES 26 APPENDICES 27 APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD 27 APPENTMX B: QUESTIONNAIRES FOR TEAChERS AND HEAD TEACHERS 30 APPENDIX C: INTRODUCTION LETTER 32 vi ABSTRACT The study was designed to investigate the effect of family poverty on pupil’s performance in primary schools in Thika district with Kamwangi division as a case study. The purpose of the study was to assess the level of family poverty and its relationship with academic performance of primary school pupils. The specific objectives therefore ranged from assessing the level of family poverty among different households in Kamwangi division Thika District Kenya to examining the level of academic performance among government and private primary schools in Kamwangi division Thika District Kenya to finding out the relationship between family poverty and academic performance of different primary schools. To collect data a structured and self administered questionnaire was adopted and issued to the heads of the households selected. Investigation was both quantitative and qualitative in nature as involved even interviewing key informants. Data were analyzed using SPSS, Chi square tests and cross tabulations done. The study revealed that there is no relationship between family poverty and academic performance of primary school pupils in Kamwang division in Thika district Kenya, but it was revealed that there is need to employ more teachers and provide relevant academic materials to some schools and pupils so as to improve their performance. ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Li Background to the study Since January 2003, since the new government in Kenya came into power major reforms to revamp the education sector are being implemented. The reforms cut across the major sub sectors in education, that is, early childhood education, primary education (formal or non formal), secondary education, TIVET (Technical, Industrial Vocational Entrepreneurship Education) and Tertially education (Development of Education in Kenya, August 2004). Over the past decades, the number of students enrolled has substantially increased. At the primary level, enrollment grew from 891,533 in 1963 to over 7.0 million in 2003 and7.2million in 2004 (Development of Education in Kenya, 2004). Both the central government and local school committees play important roles in Kenyan primary school finance. The national Kenya Ministry of Education pays teacher salaries, while school committees raise funds locally for books, chalk, classrooms, and desks. Although the teacher salaries and benefits paid by the central government account for most primary school spending — over 90 percent of total primary school spending according to the author’s calculations — a reduction in local funding could have an important impact on educational outcomes if local inputs and teachers are complements in educational production (Gugerty and Miguel, 2000). However, since the introduction of Universal primary education in Kenya, the funding of public schools has been entirely by the central government. The central government now finances all scholastic materials like chalk, furniture, extra co-curricular materials, etc and teachers salaries as well. Universal primary education in Kenya has gradually increased the gap between the private and government sponsored primary schools in terms of academic performance due to the fact that govermnent schools are not adequately funded. For this reason, government schools are left to be the option of only poor Kenyans. The teachers’ emphasis on examination results, as an index of school efficiency, is an indication of the existing policy and philosophy gap in education. The emphasis reflects the reality of a situation, in which parents are indifferent to curriculum, but are concerned with the steps schools 1 and teachers take to improve children’s good performance in the KCPE. Similarly, the Ministry of Education and the politicians send direct or indirect signals to schools that children must pass this examination as a sign of a school’s efficiency or quality. This message is implicitly amplified by the mass media when they publish KCPE and highlight the schools which have performed well (Okwachi & Odipo, 1997, p. 15). If achievement by students is low—as manifested in a school’s low test score in national examinations, for example—the school is purported to be of low quality and, therefore, inefficient. Such a school would also be considered as not increasing students’ ability to contribute to the overall development of their society, and hence not effective. Therefore, the author may pose a question as to whether family poverty could be having a significant impact on academic performance of pupils or not? According to the research carried out by The Illinois State Board of Education research division in USA, Schools with high poverty concentrations can perform well, reinforcing the view that indeed all students can learn and also do well. Analyses of the school report card data show that certain school variables such as district community type, school size, and attendance rate are related to performance (High poverty- High performance Schools, June 2001). Poverty is seen to be the most profound problem affecting the sub-Saharan countries of which Kenya is inclusive. Although there are many definitions of poverty over the world which differ from one country to another, majors indicators still exist in measuring this poverty. These indicators may include; social welfare, level of literacy, accessibility to health facilities, housing conditions, and income status, HIV prevalence. According to the Poverty Eradication Action Plan Report (2003,p. 25) for Uganda, the prestige of most household heads (the men and elders) has declined due their inability to provide adequately for their families and thus women and girl children resort turn to prostitution as a coping mechanism to raise money for their households. Further, the BBC website states that one of the definitions of poverty as follows; “The most commonly used way to measure poverty is based on incomes. A person is considered poor if his or her income level falls below some minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually called the “poverty line”. What is necessary to satisf~,r basic needs 2 varies across time and societies. Therefore, poverty lines vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms and values.” The World Bank Organisation (www.bbc.co.uk/advanced studies / accessed on 23rd march 2008). It is on this stated definition that most African countries define poverty and this study as well. Further, some analysts include as poor those who are highly sensitive to shocks, or not resilient. Small-scale pastoralists exposed to the risk of drought are a common example: current income may be adequate, but vulnerability is high. Planning for these groups means understanding both short-term coping strategies, and also long-term adaptation to livelihood stress (Overseas development Institute Poverty Briefing, the meaning and measurement of poverty, retrieved from www.odi.co.uk, accessed on 23’~’ April 2008).