Factors contributing to poor performance of Pupils in primary schools in Wajir county, a case Study of Wajir-bor primary school

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of factors like; level of education of parents, family income and parents’ marital status on the performance of pupils in primary schools in Wajir County with a view of recommending on how to improve pupils’ performance. The study was conducted in that particular area because in the past five years, pupils’ performance in the schools has been alarmingly deteriorating. Specifically, the study was intended to achieve the following objectives: (1) to investigate the influence of level of education of parents on performance of pupils in primary schools in Wajir County; (2) to investigate the influence of family income on performance of pupils in primary schools in Wajir County; and (3) to establish the influence of parents’ marital status on performance of pupils in primary schools in Wajir County. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. Quantitative and qualitative approaches of data collection were employed. A total of 404 respondents constituted the sample of the study. These included eight head teachers, 80 parents, 40 teachers and 276 pupils (Primary Six and Seven) from the eight schools (Furaha Primary school’, Volunteer Primary school’, Waberi Primary school, Bute Primary school, Township Primary school, Wajir Primary school, Habaswein Primary school and Kutulo Primary school. The researcher used four types of research instruments: namely questionnaires, interviews, observation and nominal group discussion. The results revealed that there was a positive significant relationship between the level of education of parents and pupils’ performance; two, that there was no relationship between family income and pupils’ performance, and thirdly, that there was no relationship between parents’ marital status and pupils’ performance. The conclusions were that level of education of parents of pupils in the said schools led to low performance of pupils in primary schools in Wajir County but level of family income and parents’ marital status had nothing to do with pupils’ performance in the said schools