Economic Status of Parents and Children’s Participation in Pre-Primary School in Mlolongo Slum of Machakos County, Kenya

Mwendwa N. Mpekethu, Dr. Rachael W. Kamau Kang’ethe and Dr. Beatrice Bunyasi Awori
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Mwendwa N. Mpekethu: Masters student, School of Education, Department of Early Childhood Education, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Rachael W. Kamau Kang’ethe: Lecturer, Department of Early Childhood and Special Needs Education, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Beatrice Bunyasi Awori: Lecturer, Department of Early Childhood and Special Needs Education, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, 2020, vol. 7, issue 7, 291-295

Abstract: Children who access holistic, quality Early Childhood Development Education services have a better start in learning, and are better prepared for entering and staying in primary school. However, many children are missing out on the stated benefits of early childhood education since a large percentage of the pre-primary children are not attending the early childhood education programmes. The aim of this study was to examine how the economic status of parents influences children’s participation in pre-primary in Mlolongo Slum. This study adopted the culture of poverty view by Osca Lewis. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and employed both qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection and analysis. The study employed simple random and purposive sampling to obtain the study sample. The target population in this study was 30 head teachers, 68 pre-primary teachers and 1466 parents in the thirty schools in Mlolongo slum in Athi River Sub-county. Simple random sampling was employed to select 9 schools. The head teachers in the sampled schooled were purposively selected for the study. Simple random sampling was used to select 68 pre-primary teachers and 440 of parents who had children in the 9 pre-primary schools. The study used semi-structured questionnaires to obtain data from teachers and head-teachers, and interview schedules for parents. Piloting was carried out in two pre-primary schools within Mlolongo slum. The findings of the study revealed that majority of parents ran small businesses while others worked as casual laborers which did not provide enough income. The study concluded that the kind of economic activity parents were involved in compelled majority of parents to either leave home very early or arrive very late, thus denying them time for their children. The study recommended that the Boards of Management through County Government should introduce Free Preschool Education. The study further recommended that parents and donors to provide school meals to children so as to attract and retain them in school.

Date: 2020
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