Kangethe, R .K. W.Groenewegen, TedAgnes, Wangari2011-11-232011-11-232011-11-23http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1705Department of Special Needs Education, 84p. HV 1346.5 .W36The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that hinder enrolment and retention in Free Primary Education by orphans in public primary schools in Municipality Division of Kiambu East District. Though various studies have been done on education of orphans it is still not well under stood why some orphans drop out of school or do not enroll at all even after provision of Free Primary Education in Municipality Division of Kiambu East district. The objectives of the study were; to find out the difficulties faced by orphans in accessing education; to identify the factors perceived by teachers as the causes of non- enrolment and poor retention of orphans in formal public school; to assess the factors perceived by stakeholders in education as the causes of non-enrolment and poor retention of orphans informal school and to determine the difficulties faced by school heads in retention of orphans in primary schools. The study population was 719 which included Head teachers, teachers, stakeholders and orphans. Systematic sampling was used to select respondents from their registers. The sample size was 161 individuals .Data was collected using questionnaires and was analyzed using frequency distribution, means and percentages. The results of the study indicated that up to 36% of the orphans interviewed were not enrolled in formal school. The majority of the respondent orphans (80%) dropped out of formal school at the grades below class four. Lack of guardians was reported by up to 48% of the orphans interviewed as a factor leading to their dropping out of school. With regards to enrolment and retention, various factors were cited by head teachers, teachers and other stakeholders as responsible for non - enrolment and poor retention of orphans in formal primary schools. These factors included irresponsible guardians or lack of guardians 96%. High levels of poverty in the area was closely linked to child labour and inability to meet basic needs 67% and stigmatization of AIDS orphans 45%.. Although no statistics were furnished, teenage pregnancy was cited by 62% of the respondent teachers and stakeholders as another cause of girls dropping out of. school. With regard to challenges faced by school heads in retaining orphans in school, the majority of the respondents (65%) identified poor feeding programme, irresponsible guardians (41%) and lack of shelter for the orphans (36%) as challenges facing school heads in maintaining orphans at school. From the findings of the study it was evident that although orphans benefited from the Free Primary Education about 9% of total number of orphans enrolled between 2006 and 2007 in Municipality division had dropped out formal primary schools. The researcher recommended that the FPE funds should have a vote head that caters for basic needs for orphans and that teachers should be equipped with skills to handle orphans to make the school environment friendlier to the orphans. Recommendations were also made on the need to sensitize the community on the needs orphans to make the community accept orphans and treat them wellenOrphans --Kenya --Kiambu East DistrictSpecial education --Kenya --Kiambu East DistrictThesis