Abstract:
The Dakar Conference of 2000 evaluated development in attaining
Universal Primary Education (UPE) within the continent of African.
An EFA target was established that is eradicating gender inequality in
primary schools within the year 2005 and by 2015 be able to attain
gender impartiality.Despite all efforts by governments, retention of
pupils in primary schools is a major challenge to most governments in
the world and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Among other social –
cultural factors, early marriage among primary school going learners
have had a negative impact on the Free Primary Education policy since
its re-introduction in 2003 in Kenya. The country faces 23% early
marriage among girls and might be a contributor factor in low learner
retention in the country especially in Turkana County which has so far
had the lowest retention in the county with 7.8% compared to 79.6%
nationally. The purpose of this study was to have an exploratory factor
analysis to understand why this situation has been experienced within
the FPE policy in Kenya. The findings establishedthat girls are married
early by young and old men who can afford paying dowry, payment of
dowry has driven many girls to early marriage, and majority of early
marriages are done according to the traditions of the community. It
concluded that early marriage is predominant among the pastoralist
communities in ASAL regions in Kenya and has had tremendous
influence on learner retention in primary school education contributing
negatively to the implementation and success of FPE policy.The Dakar Conference of 2000 evaluated development in attaining
Universal Primary Education (UPE) within the continent of African.
An EFA target was established that is eradicating gender inequality in
primary schools within the year 2005 and by 2015 be able to attain
gender impartiality.Despite all efforts by governments, retention of
pupils in primary schools is a major challenge to most governments in
the world and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Among other social –
cultural factors, early marriage among primary school going learners
have had a negative impact on the Free Primary Education policy since
its re-introduction in 2003 in Kenya. The country faces 23% early
marriage among girls and might be a contributor factor in low learner
retention in the country especially in Turkana County which has so far
had the lowest retention in the county with 7.8% compared to 79.6%
nationally. The purpose of this study was to have an exploratory factor
analysis to understand why this situation has been experienced within
the FPE policy in Kenya. The findings establishedthat girls are married
early by young and old men who can afford paying dowry, payment of
dowry has driven many girls to early marriage, and majority of early
marriages are done according to the traditions of the community. It
concluded that early marriage is predominant among the pastoralist
communities in ASAL regions in Kenya and has had tremendous
influence on learner retention in primary school education contributing
negatively to the implementation and success of FPE policy.
