Abstract: The socio-economic status of a family is a critical determinant of student retention and success in education. Among its dimensions, parental education level plays a unique role in shaping student progression, academic motivation, and overall educational outcomes. The present study addressed the problem of educational wastage, manifested through dropout, grade repetition, absenteeism and low academic performance, which continues to undermine access, equity, and quality in secondary schools. The study examined the effects of parental education level on educational wastage in public secondary schools in Tigania Central Sub-County, Meru County. A descriptive survey design was employed, guided by the Education Production Function Theory. The study sample comprised 256 participants, with piloting conducted in Tigania West Sub-County. Data collection involved questionnaires for students and teachers, interviews for principals, and secondary data from educational reports. Reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded a coefficient of 0.72, while validity was ensured through expert review. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were applied, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Findings revealed that parental education level significantly influences educational wastage. Students with less educated parents faced poor academic follow-up and increased risks of dropout and repetition. Conversely, parents with higher education supported academic progress, valued learning, and acted as role models, reducing wastage. The study concluded that parental education enhances student persistence and recommended community awareness programs to sensitize parents on the long-term benefits of education.

Abstract: This study examines the impact of socioeconomic factors – specifically household income and parental education – on academic performance in the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O/L) examination across districts in Sri Lanka. Despite the country’s commitment to free education, disparities in examination outcomes persist, prompting the need for a data-driven investigation into the underlying causes. Utilizing secondary data from the Department of Examinations and the Department of Census and Statistics, the study applies descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis to explore the district level variations. Findings indicate that household income is not a statistically significant predictor of academic performance, suggesting that other variables may play a more critical role. Notably, certain low-income districts demonstrate high academic achievement, highlighting the influence of factors such as community engagement, school quality and cultural attitudes towards education. The study underscores the importance of adopting a multidimensional approach in addressing educational inequality and recommends targeted interventions, improved infrastructure and the integration of broader socio-economic indicators into future research and policymaking efforts.

Received October 30, 2020; Revised November 28, 2020; Accepted December 1, 2020

Abstract: Whilst there has been a lot of research on learners with physical, hearing and visual disabilities in Kenya, not much research has focused on learners with intellectual disabilities. The research from which this paper is drawn ventured into a relatively less researched area, namely, parental involvement in the education of learners with intellectual disabilities in Kenya. This paper presents partial findings of an in-depth phenomenological investigation into the state of parental involvement in the education of learners with intellectual disabilities in Kenya. The study was guided by Parental Involvement theory as postulated by Jane Epstein. Cluster, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were utilized to select 24 parents. Data were collected through face to face semi-structured interviews and analysed with the help of ATLAS ti software package. The findings revealed that parents of learners with intellectual disabilities provided a safe home environment, transported their children to school, managed their children’s behaviour and provided, albeit to a given extent, learning resources and subsistence. However, weighed against Jane Epstein’s components of Parental Involvement the involvement fellshort of expectations, and even more so as concerns learners with intellectual disabilities. From the findings, parents did not get involved in their children’s school activities, did not expose them to educational environments, they did not volunteer at school or provide sufficient learning resources/subsistence, they did not enlist as members of school committees and associations, and they did not engage in communication with the school to enquire about their children’s academic progress and wellbeing.