The role of school leadership in retention of students from low socio-economic background in school, a case study of a co-educational, government aided day secondary school in Palisa district, eastern Uganda.

The role that school leadership plays in retention of students from low socio economic background in school cannot be underestimated. This study aimed at establishing the role that school leadership plays as well as strategies used in retention of students from LSEB in school. A qualitative case study approach was used in the study and it was done in one government aided co-educational day secondary school in Pallisa district-Eastern Uganda. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and document analysis were used to establish the strategies school leadership used in retention of students from LSEB in school. The participants in this study included; The Head teacher, the Deputy Head teacher, Director of studies, senior woman teacher, senior man teacher, four students from low socio-economic background as well as their parents in a face to face semi-structured interviews and six student leaders who included prefects and student councilors in a Focus group discussion. Findings from this study suggest that school leadership plays a significant role in retention of students from LSEB using a number of strategies such as; guidance and counseling, motivation through awards and rewards in form of bursaries and scholastic materials. Apart from that, school leadership has put in place a friendly school fees payment structure where students from LSEB are given a grace period in which to clear school fees or they are allowed to pay in installments. This allows them to pay the little they have as they look for the rest of the fees. However, despite, the effort to retain students from LSEB in school, school leadership has been limited by resources. Generally, data collected reveals that school leadership has created a conducive atmosphere for retention of students from low socio-economic background. Although the findings from this study are not generalizeable, they may apply to other schools in similar contexts especially in Pallisa district