The Educational Level of the Boy Child in the Low Economic Class Estatesopf Nairobi Kenya : case study of Kawangware

Abstract

Kawangware is a small market suburb located about 11 kilometres west of the capital city of Kenya - Nairobi. Most of the residents belong to the low-income class. It's inhabited by 86,000 people and most of them provide domestic and support services to the neighboring suburbs. Amongst the things that one notice on visiting the area are the number of boys loitering around and ferrying various goods to the market, instead of being in school. This study explores the Educational Level of the boy child in Kawangware, and the factors that cause a significant number of boys not to attend school. A qualitative research design employing ethnographic tradition was used for study. Data was collected using face-to-face open-ended interviews. The findings revealed that many covert factors hinder the educational level of the boy child in Kawangware. Twelve themes emerged to explain these factors. The researcher concluded that there is a dire need to facilitate and offer solutions to these hindrances, which impede meaningful education to the boy child in Kawangware. Although the findings in this research offer implications to the Church, government and non-governmental organisations and the society in general, the recommendations provided are limited to the role the Church can play to alleviate the suffering of the boy child. At least one other research topic arose out of this investigation; in order to grasp deeper insights into the educational level of the boy child in Kawangware and to establish more effective strategies to help them, the researcher recommends a further study that explores the social life of the boy child in a home context. Based on the findings, the educational level of the boy child is in dire need of help and the church and society must be challenged and be engaged in this issue in meeting their felt needs.