The influence of parents social economic status on students dropouts in community secondary schools: A case of Kahama district

Maziku, Francis Paskali (2013) The influence of parents social economic status on students dropouts in community secondary schools: A case of Kahama district. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the influence of parents’ social economic status on students’ dropout in community secondary schools in Tanzania. The study assessed the influence of the parents’ economic status to students’ dropouts. The area involved in this study was Kahama district in the five sampled wards. These wards were Ulowa, Ukune, Kahama Town, Kinamapula and Kisuke. A total of 241 respondents in the categories of parents, heads of schools, academic masters, class teachers, District Education Officers, two streams from form one to form four, dropout students and continuing students were obtained through random and purposive sampling. The primary data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions. Secondary data was collected through documentary review from the attendance registers, dropout files and cash books. The collected data was subjected to content analysis. The study findings have indicated that limited financial resource at home results into students’ dropout, Polygamous and single parents also resulted to students’ dropout and transmission of HIV/AIDS and low parents education level was linked with students’ dropout. The dropouts’ economic activities were found to be involvement in petty business of selling groundnuts, potatoes around bus stand, household work, small mining activities at Mwabomba, domestic servant and manual work such as cultivation during rain seasons and fetching water. Based on the findings, the recommendations of the study are that the government and community members should play well their part to control students’ dropouts in community secondary schools. Another recommendation was that HIV/AIDS education programme should be provided based on series of workshops in the village to promote disease prevention as well as family planning techniques in polygamous families. Political commitment, construction of dormitories or hostels in community secondary schools.

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