ABSTRACT

Education progress plays a very important role in determining the future of a pupil

and even in planning for the schools and education sector as a whole. Primary Education

forms the basis of implementing Poverty Reduction Strategy by the government

through the acquisition of basic literacy skills, which increases opportunities for employment

and ability to be self-reliant, hence the need to monitor the pupils general

progress from the time of entry in class one to graduation after the expected eight years

in Kenya’s Primary school level of education. This study applies Life Table Technique

in determining the progression of pupils from the time of entry in class one to graduation

in class eight, in public primary schools in Migori Sub County. The objectives

of the study were to determine the Sub County’s retention rate by class and sex and

also to determine the expected duration of schooling for each class by sex. A sample

of 91 schools was drawn using multi stage sampling where each of the six zones was

represented and an Interviewer-Administered Questionnaire was used to obtain data

to meet the study objectives. The cohort for the study included the Sub County’s class

one public primary school enrolment in the year 2007 for the sampled schools. The

findings of this study were; the retention rates for male pupils was higher than that

of female pupils and also the retention rate was lowest in class seven and highest in

class three. Similarly, the expected duration of schooling was higher for male pupils

compared to the female pupils; also the expected duration of schooling for each class

was lower than the normal duration as expected. This study would help to monitor

the progress of primary school pupils in the Sub County and also help the schools, the

community, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in adopting the appropriate

measures to curb the elements of attrition.