Drugs, Gambling and Disco Matanga top List of Vices Driving Kenyan Learners Out of School

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PHOTO COURTESY: Medical News Today

Alcoholism, drugs substance abuse, gambling and disco matanga have been listed among social activities by Kenyan youth that affect their education.  A recent County Dialogues Report revealed serious shortfalls and incidents of ill preparedness among teachers and cases of absenteeism among students and teachers.

The shortfalls point to the growing concern of cases resulting in poor academic performance in public schools that must be confronted by government officials. The number of teenage pregnancies reported in some of the counties- especially those in the Coastal area and some parts of the Rift Valley remain relatively high.

Finer details in the report give specific cases in Siaya, Turkana, Tana River, Kakamega and Trans Nzoia as a reflection of the general cases affecting the rest of the counties d, with the ministries of Education and Interior tasked to deal with the menace in mining and fishing areas. In Nyanza, child labor along the shores of Lake Victoria was listed, with ministries of Education and Interior tasked to deal with the menace in mining and fishing areas.  

Food insecurity and inaccessibility of learning institutions where learners walk long distances to school through harsh environment affect learning in Turkana. Other challenges in Turkana are low literacy levels among parents and poor parenting, child labor and drug abuse.

The teacher shortage stands at 2,692 in the far-flung semi-arid county. The report also cites cases of conflicts that occasion displacements. Areas of Kapedo, Kibish and Lokichar were listed as hot spots. Other issues are natural disasters, prolonged drought, floods and epidemics like Cholera outbreak. During the meetings in Turkana, it also emerged that learners are not motivated to achieve high quality grades in national examinations. Lack of scholarships for higher education was cited among issues affecting motivation in learning.

In Tana River County, education stakeholders listed inadequate desks where majority of learners in pre-primary schools and primary schools sit on the floor. It also emerged that many learning institutions do not have reliable water supply. Inadequate physical infrastructure, inadequate textbooks in class 4, 5 and 6 led to dismal performance in KCPE and KCSE Examinations. Absenteeism and boycott of school programs like resistance to sit for examinations were also common.

In Kakamega, high rates of teacher absenteeism were highlighted among top causes of poor performance. The report also cites a high number of cases where learners also miss school while many drop out, leading to low completion rates. It also emerged that early marriages and teenage pregnancies have prevented children from attending school in the county. Other issues raised are inadequate and dilapidated infrastructure, shortage of teaching staff and inadequate field, administrative and supervising staff at county and sub-county levels.

In Trans Nzoia County, the report says that most teachers are ill prepared for the classroom. Other issues raised were collaboration between the Education ministry and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in jointly monitoring schools, with a view of addressing indiscipline cases.

Overall, the report cites low participation and support among parents on school development activities and high literacy and poverty levels as top issues. High pupil/teacher ratios, congested classrooms and dormitories, high household poverty levels and negative socio-cultural practices are still a challenge to education.

“Drugs and substance abuse is still a major challenge facing many schools and child labor is rampant due to the allure of farms, forests and mines,” reads the report. The report recommends that teachers to be trained further on Competence Based Curriculum and to enhance success in the implementation.