Wastage in secondary schools in Kenya: Case of Murang’a East District

The purpose of this study was to determine the nature, trend and factors that cause wastage in form of drop-outs and repetition in secondary schools in Murang’a East District in Kenya.It was guided by the following objectives: To investigate the magnitude of wastage in secondary schools; to find out the causes of wastage in secondary schools; to determine the classes where wastage is rampant; and to establish corrective measures that can minimize repetitions and dropouts. The study was conducted using a descriptive survey design and it targeted all the head teachers, teachers and students in day and boarding secondary schools. The sample comprised of 20 head teachers, 120 teachers, and 400 students randomly selected from the 20 sampled schools in the district. Data was collected using questionnaires for head teachers, teachers and students, an interview schedule for the District Education Officer and observation schedule for physical resources such as classrooms, libraries. It was then analysed using quantitative and qualitative statistics and the results are presented here in.