Difference in Retention Trends of Teenage Mothers in Public Secondary Schools in Samburu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya
##article.abstract##
In Kenya, teenage pregnancy significantly threatens girls' education, often leading to high dropout rates and early marriages. Recent statistics reveal that about four in ten girls aged 15-19 have been pregnant. This study aimed to examine the retention trends of teenage mothers in public secondary schools in Samburu and Nairobi Counties, selected due to their high prevalence of teenage pregnancy, representation of rural and urban areas, and limited existing data on post-childbirth school resumption. Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development offered a valuable framework for understanding teenage mothers’ developmental challenges. The study employed an ex post facto survey design. The target population consisted of 32,597 girls, 79 principals from Nairobi County, 7,396 girls, and 16 principals from Samburu County. According to Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) sampling tables, a population of 39,993 should have a sample size of 380 respondents. Therefore, 380 girls were included in the sample. For principals, the sample was determined based on Gay's (2001) recommendation that a 10-40 percent sample size is adequate for representation. The researcher chose the upper limit of 40%, resulting in a sample of 38 principals. Data was collected using self-constructed questionnaires and interview schedules. A pilot study in four schools tested reliability with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, yielding a reliable score of 0.78. Data analysis using descriptive statistics and t-tests with SPSS version 22 revealed a significant difference in retention trends between the counties, though retention rates were low in bot79 principals from Nairobi County, h (t = -5.477, p<0.05). The study recommends continued efforts to support school re-entry for teenage mothers, as increasing their retention could significantly influence their educational attainment and future opportunities. Policies should particularly focus on aiding teenage mothers from rural and marginalized communities to return to secondary schools.
References
Birchall, J. (2018). Early marriage, pregnancy and girl child school dropout. K4D Helpdesk Report. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.
Evans, D. K., Akmal, M., & Jakiela, P. (2020). Gender gaps in education: The long view. IZA Journal of Development & Migration, 12(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.2478/izajodm-2021-0001
Gerbaka, B., Richa, S., & Tomb, R. (2021). Early and Forced Marriage. In Child Sexual Abuse, Exploitation and Trafficking in the Arab Region (pp. 229–271). Springer International Publishing, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66507-4_14
Greene M., & Stiefvater E. (2019) Social and gender norms and child marriage: A Reflection on Issues, Evidence and Areas of Inquiry in the Field, ALIGN, London.
Imbosa, L. L., Majanga, E., & Ouda, J. B. (2022). Re-entry Policy and Retention of Expectant Students and Teen Mothers in Public Secondary Schools in Vihiga Sub-County, Kenya.
Issa, F. H. & Temu, L. (2023). Enrolling teenage mothers in the formal secondary education system: a new policy implementation assessment. Research in Educational Policy and Management, 5(2), 16-33. https://doi.org/10.46303/repam.2023.7
Jochim, J., Meinck, F., Toska, E., Roberts, K., Wittesaele, C., Langwenya, N., & Cluver, L. (2022). Who goes back to school after birth? Factors associated with postpartum school return among adolescent mothers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Global public health, 1-15.
Kinyanjui, J. (2022). Kenya: Education in Marginalized Communities. Learning, Marginalization, and Improving the Quality of Education in Low-income Countries: OpenBook Publishers DOI: https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0256
Kiptoo-Tarus, P. (2020). Teenage pregnancy: A psychosocial burden on girl child education in Kenya. Research Journal in Advanced Humanities, 1(2), 64-76.
KNBS and ICF. (2023). Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022: Volume 1. Nairobi, Kenya, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: KNBS and ICF..
Mackatian, C.I, Mackatian, N. I. & Owino, M.A. (2022). Transition in Education: Perspectives on Girls’ Drop-out rates in Secondary Schools in Kenya. London Journal of Research and Social Sciences 22(1). ISSN: 2515-5792.
Martinez, E., & Odhiambo, A. (2018). Leave no girl behind in Africa: Discrimination in education against pregnant girls and adolescent mothers Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/au0618_insert_webspreads. pdf
Ministry of Education. (2020). National guidelines for school re-entry in early learning and basic education. Republic of Kenya.
Morgan, A. K., Ibrahim, R., Owusu, A. F., Awafo, B. A., Quartey, T., Aziire, M. A., Katsekpor, J. T., Owusu, A. S. &Katey, D. (2023). Prevalence and associated factors of school re-entry among teenage mothers in Ghana’s Volta Region: a cross- sectional survey, International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 28:1, 2242476, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2023.2242476
Muga, R., Raburu, P. & Odongo, B. (2022). Effectiveness of Peer Counselling in Management ofTeenage Pregnancy in Secondary Schools. International Journal of Research in Education and Psychology: Vol 8 issue 4(Oct-Dec 2022)
Mugenda, A. &Mugenda, O. (2009). Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Acts Press.
Mutua, M. N, Miriti, J. M & Mogeni, S. (2019), Implementation of the ‘Return to School’ Policy for Teenage Mothers in Kenya: A Rights-Based Perspective. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education(IJHSSE) Volume 6, Issue 6, June 2019, PP 58-74 ISSN 2349-0373 (Print) & ISSN 2349-0381 (Online)http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2349-0381.0606www.arcjournals.org
National Council for Population and Development (NCPD,2017). 2015 Kenya National Adolescents and Youth Survey (NAYS). Nairobi, Kenya: NCPD.
Obwaka, N.N. (2023). The Association between the Level of Education and Teenage Pregnancy in Kenya: A Secondary Analysis of Kenya Demographic and Healthy Survey 2014. Uppsala University
Odhiambo, J. (2018). Barriers to Effective uptake of Education in Samburu County, Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research. Vol.6 No. 10
Okumu, J. (2020). Effects of Teenage Pregnancy on the Academic Performance of Girls in Secondary Schools in Ukwala Ward, Ugenya Sub County Siaya County, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi).
Opondo, C. M., Aloka, P. J., & Raburu, P. A. (2017). Relationship between attitude towards guidance and counselling programme and adjustment of re-admitted teenage mothers in Kenyan Secondary Schools. Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 6(3), 25-25.
Parida, S. P., Gajjala, A., & Giri, P. P. (2021). Empowering adolescent girls, is sexual and reproductive health education a solution? Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 10(1), 66. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1513_20
Undie, C., Birungi, H., Odwe, G. & Obare, F. (2020). Final evaluation results: Expanding access to secondary school education for teenage mothers in Homa Bay County, presentation.Nairobi: Population Council.
UNICEF (2024). Early Childbearing and teenage pregnancy rates by country. New York: UNICEF. https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/adolescent -health/
UNICEF (2022). Beyond Marriage and Motherhood: Empowering girls by addressing adolescent pregnancies, child marriages and early unions – Patterns and Trends in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok
UNICEF (2022). Giving Teen Mothers a second chance in Education. https://www.unicef.org/kenya/stories/giving-teen-mothers-second-chance-education
UNFPA (2023). State of the World Population 2023. New York: UNFPA
UNFPA (2018). State of the World Population 2018. “The Power of Choice: Reproductive Rights and the Demographic Transition. New York: UNFPA.
Wamahiu, L. W; Piliyesi, Mailu, S & Isoe, J. (2020). Role of Key Stakeholders in Integrating Teenage Mothers in Secondary Schools in Samburu West Constituency, Kenya. Journal of Popular Education in Africa. 4(11), 4 – 35.
WHO (2024). Adolescent pregnancy. Available online at, https://www.who.int/news-room /fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy
WHO (2023) Adolescent health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/adolescent-health
WHO, (2018). WHO recommendations on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. Available online at https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241514606
