TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ........................................................................................................ i
APPROVAL .............................................................................................................. ii
DEDICATION ......................................................................................................... iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................ iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... v
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ vii
CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................ 1
INTRODUCA TION .................................................................................................. 1
1.0 Background ofthe study ...................................................................................... I
1.1 Statement ofthe Problem .................................................................................... 4
1.2 Purpose of the study ............................................................................................ 4
1.3 Objectives of the study ........................................................................................ 4
1.4 Scope of the study .............................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................... 6
LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 6
2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 6
2.1 An Overview of Recent Studies on the Street Children Phenomenon ................. 6
2.2 The School Dropouts and the Street Children Phenomenon ............................... 7
2.3 The Nature of School .......................................................................................... 8
2.4 The Cause and Paradox of"Streetism" ............................................................. I 0
2.5 Identity and Magnitude of Street Children ........................................................ 11
2.6 Research Questions ........................................................................................... 12
CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................. 13
METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................. 13
3.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 13
3.1 Research Design ................................................................................................ 13
3.2 The target population included: ......................................................................... 13
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3.3 lnstrutnents ........................................................................................................ 16
3.4 Validity of Instruments ...................................................................................... 16
3.5 Reliability of Instruments .................................................................................. 17
3.6 Procedure of data collection .............................................................................. 17
3. 7 Data Analysis .................................................................................................... 18
3.8 Analysis of Data from Focussed Group Discussions ........................................ 18
3.9 Analysis of Data from Documentary Analysis .................................................. 18
3.10 Problems and Limitation Encountered during the Study ................................ 19
CHAPTER FOUR ................................................................................................... 20
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA ............... 20
4.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 20
4.1 Results from Interviews ..................................................................................... 20
4.2 Level of School ................................................................................................. 23
4.3 Type of School .................................................................................................. 24
4.4 Focus Group Discussions Result.. ..................................................................... 28
4.5 Procedure for Focussed Group Discussions ...................................................... 28
4.6 Location of School or Place of Origin ............................................................... 29
4.7 Level of School ................................................................................................. 29
4.8 Type of School .................................................................................................. 30
4.9 Characteristics of Schools Children Tend to Dropout of .................................. 30
4.10 Attitudes of School Dropouts/Street Children towards School ....................... 32
4.11 Sub Groups of Street Children ........................................................................ 32
4.12 Focussed Group Discussions with Head teachers and Deputy Head Teachers33
4.13 Existence of Street Children and School Dropouts ......................................... 33
4.14 Characteristics of the School Children Tend to Drop out from ....................... 34
4.15 Circumstances and Conditions Conducive to the Process of Dropping out of
School ...................................................................................................................... 34
4.16 Orphans ........................................................................................................... 35
4.17 Documentary Analysis Results ....................................................................... 35
4.18 Location ofschool ........................................................................................... 37
4. 19 Level and Type of school ............................................................................... 37
4. 20 Characteristics of and Circumstances in school ............................................. 37
4.21 Findings from Student/Pupil Lists and Reports Cards/Testimonials .............. 37
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4.22 Attitudes of School Dropouts/Street Children towards School ....................... 38
4. 23 Subgroups of Street Children ......................................................................... 38
CHAPTER FIVE ..................................................................................................... 39
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................ 39
5.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 39
5.1 Discussion of Results ........................................................................................ 39
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 45
APPENDENCES ..................................................................................................... 46
APPENDIX A: TIME,FRAME ............................................................................... 46
APPENDIX B: BUDGET ....................................................................................... 47
APPENDIX C: INSTRUMENTS ........................................................................... 48
ABSTRACT This study investigated the Examination of the nature of schools and school dropouts among street children in Thika District Juja- Zone in Kenya. The researcher adopted a qualitative technique and used a cross sectional descriptive survey. The researcher tackled the task by formulating and answering the following question namely: what type, level and location of schools does the school dropout po1iion of street children originate? What special characteristics make these schools different fi·om any other school? What circumstances or condition in schools may be conductive to the process of dropping out of school? What new subgroups might be perceived and identified among the street children? A sample of 125 informants variously selected by random and purposive sampling from among street children, NGOs staff and primary school administrators with in Thika District was used. The research instruments used included interview guides, checklists, various types of tabular formats along with semi structured interview guides, focused group discussions and documentary analysed by means of themes, comparative tables and category and rank analysis matrices.