Relationship between Kinship Care Practices and the Education Participation of Lower Primary School Pupils, in Embu County, Kenya
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Date
2024-08-26
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Anfo Publications
Abstract
Kinship care is a form of child care placement within the family also referred to as family-centred child-care. It is acknowledged globally as the first form of care that should be explored for children outside parental care. Despite the prevalence of of kinship care in the world, it is poorly supported and neglected by policy makers and practitioners. It is perceived that high-quality child care keeps children safe and healthy and helps them succeed in school. This study therefore explored the relationship between kinship care practices and participation in education among lower primary school pupils from grades 1-3 in Embu County Kenya. The study was anchored on the Functionalist theory. A correlational design was embraced in this study. The population target was 1303 from the selected schools. The study applied purposive sampling to choose a sample size of 132 participants. Reliability of instruments was tested using Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient, where r= 0.7. The study utilized an adapted Kitwood's Qualitative Technique to analyze descriptive data. The study found variations in school enrolment and resource allocation among schools, but overall, school attendance was high among lower primary pupils under kinship care. The key findings showed that there was a significant negative correlation between kinship care and school attendance, indicating a potential inverse relationship (r=0.691), suggesting a significant inverse relationship between these variables (p=0.001<0.05). The study established that there was a relatively strong and negative effect of kinship care on education participation among lower primary pupils in Embu West, Embu County, Kenya. The main recommendation was that the government and the county government through the Ministry of Education should prioritize equitable resource allocation among schools and provide on-going support for school attendance to pupils under kinship care to ensure their educational needs are met.
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