The influence of poverty on secondary school educational attainment among the population in Nansana municipality, Wakiso district

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to establish the influence of poverty on secondary school education attainment among the population in Nansana municipality. Specifically, the study was to determine the relationship between parent or guardian poverty and the child’s secondary educational attainment, the relationship between child poverty and the child’s secondary educational attainment, and to compare the effect of parent or guardian poverty and child poverty on the child’s secondary educational attainment. The research followed a cross-section design and correlation design to establish the influence of poverty on secondary school education attainment among the population in Nansana municipality. A sample of 150 secondary school drop outs on streets not beyond 35 years and 100 parents/guardians from homes each with a secondary school dropout were systematically selected to participate in the study by answering the designed questionnaires. Frequencies, percentages and bar graphs were used to show the distribution of respondents on different questions. Linear regression was used to test the relationship between the variables.The study findings showed that there was no significant relationship between parent/guardian poverty and the child's secondary education attainment in Nansana municipality F = 2.779 and P = 0.099). It also revealed that there is a significant relationship between child poverty and his/her secondary education attainment (F = 6.441 and P = 0.012). It also further revealed that there is a significant difference between the effect of parent or guardian poverty and that of child poverty on the child’s secondary educational attainment. The study therefore concluded that the economic status of the parent/guardian has minimal influence on the secondary education attainment of the child but rather it is what is provided to the child by the parent/guardian in form of financial and non-financial support that greatly influences the child's secondary education attainment. The researchers therefore recommended that parents / guardian should provide the minimum financial and non-financial support in terms of basic needs in order to enable children remain in school and prevent them from dropping out of school. The study also left some areas of research to establish whether deprivation of basic needs to children has a way it affects their cognitive development that could be responsible for low academic achievement. Further study should also be carried out in this area to identify what exactly is considered by parents / guardians to keep their children in school.