Mbutitia F. N
ABSTRACT
There is need to address the ways in which HIV and AIDS psychosocial stressors influence girl-child education. In areas with high HIV and AIDS prevalence the psychosocial stressors are common. This study established that the coping strategies used by girls with HIV and AIDS psychosocial stressors, affect their performance in school. I used the transactional theory of coping process. Girls infected or affected by HIV and AIDS pandemic were purposively sampled and snowball method used to trace girls who were out of school. The sample comprised of 148 teachers from 30 schools, 79 infected and 215 affected girls in school and 15 out of school. Four methods of collecting data were used namely: questionnaire, document analysis, observation and interviews. The descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. The study established that girls used maladaptive coping strategies like missing lessons and school, not doing schoolwork while others dropped out of school. In the face of HIV and AIDS psychosocial stressors, girls need support to develop adaptive coping strategies. With support, girls will build resilience; thus continue being a resource to their families, communities and the nation at large.
Key Words: Coping Strategies, HIV and AIDS, Psychosocial Stressors, girls
Contact: Mbutitia F. N; Moi University, Department of Educational Psychology,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To cite this article: Mbutitia F. N (2013). Challenges of Coping with HIV and AIDS Psychosocial Stressors, Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership,
Available online December 2013
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©2013 Kenya Association of Educational Management and Leadership. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Nicholas Bii & Joyce Nzevu
Abstract
Many developing countries have placed emphasis on the expansion of education opportunities at all levels of education. There are enormous challenges facing education; poor access to educational opportunities, students’ wastage rate caused by high dropout and repeater rates, mismanagement of resources and lack of funding for teaching and learning programmes in educational institutions. The objectives of the study were to find out the factors that influence efficiency in secondary schools in Bureti District, assess implications of efficiency on performance, and suggest ways of improving internal efficiency. We used descriptive research design. A stratified sampling procedure was used to select participating divisions in the District. In addition, two sets of questionnaires were used. Results showed that secondary schools that had low wastage rate, single sex schools, and were Church sponsored preformed better than schools that had high wastage rates. The latter were public, mixed and day secondary schools that were plagued by high pregnancy rate for girls and absenteeism among other factors that cause drop-out and repetition. We recommend that schools should set up and strengthen guidance and counselling departments. Stakeholders should find ways to support needy students. The Ministry of Education should regularly monitor the policy that supports teenage girls to continue with education after maternity leave.
Key words: Internal efficiency, Performance, Drop-out and Repeater rates.
Contact: Mr. Nicholas Bii, St. Catherine Girls High School, Uasin Gishu, Kenya, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To cite this article: Nicholas Bii & Joyce Nzevu. (2013). International Efficiency and Performance: An Assessment of Secondary Schools in Bureti District-Kenya , Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership, Vol 3, 5-18
Full Version
Available online December 2013
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.kaeam.or.ke
©2013 Kenya Association of Educational Management and Leadership. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Editorial Note
Lest we forget, "The State of the World’s Children 2011" document (UNICEF, 2011) reminds us that adolescence is an age of opportunity. It is a time when children in that age bracket are expected to be in school irrespective of one’s geographical location, gender, social-economic and health status among other factors. Unfortunately it is also a time when most become vulnerable and lose key opportunities in life. If and when such a misfortune occurs, most plunge into poverty, become victims of inequity and gender discrimination. In this issue (3rd), we present two papers that touch on issues that make schooling difficult for most adolescents particularly in sub-Saharan region. The papers remind us that “in Africa a teenager weighs the sacrifices she [he] must make to stay in the classroom” (UNICEF, 2011, pg. iii).
The first paper, by Nicholas Bii and Joyce Nzevu is entitled ‘Internal Efficiency and Performance: An Assessment of Secondary Schools in Bureti District-Kenya’. The second is entitled ‘Challenges of Coping with HIV and AIDS Psychosocial Stressors’ by Franscisca. N. Mbutitia. Both papers have areas of commonality, the major one being the issue of wastage; which manifests itself in students dropping out of school or repeating classes because of avoidable circumstances.
Bii and Nzevu’s paper sets the stage by discussing ways in which internal efficiency and performance in a school system are related. They highlight the fact that students dropping out of school or repeating classes is largely determined by two factors --
a). family and student’s characteristics which affect the demand for education. (b). the education policies implemented by a particular school.
Wastage could be defined as the total number of students who begin an educational program i.e. in a school or college and cannot complete due to various reasons; and efficiency in education is illustrated by the ways in which pupils in an educational program progress, or defectively progress or fail to progress. In their paper, Bii and Nzevu examine the relationship between internal efficiency and performance in secondary schools in Bureti District in Kenya and discuss factors that contribute to wastage in that particular region.
HIV and AIDS are phenomena that have contributed to wastage in the heavily affected regions in sub-Sahara Africa. The second paper is a report of a study which sought to find out ways in which girls affected and infected with HIV and AIDS cope with their day today activities be it schooling or life outside school. The study reaffirms that the high HIV and AIDS prevalence in the study site cause psychological distress on those affected and infected particularly adolescent girls. Because of the ways in which the distress affects the girls, each embraces different coping strategies. In addition, Mbutitia reports that the girls who participated in the study adopted either adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies. Missing lessons and school, dropping out of school, and engaging in irresponsible sexual behaviors, early marriages and suicide are some of the maladaptive strategies reported in the paper.
In Kenya, a substantial number of secondary and primary schools are residential (boarding schools). That means a high number of adolescent learners spend more days in a given year in school than at home. In that regard, the issues raised by the two papers should be of concern to educators in the various sectors of education and particularly teachers and school principals of all schools categories. Schools in collaboration with stakeholders have to intentionally address the factors that contribute to wastage in their locality, some of which call for better understanding of the assortment of dangers that adolescents face.
Prof. jennifer wanjiku khamasi, Ph.D
Chief Editor,
Journal of Educational Management and Leadership - JASEML ISSN 2078-7650
www.kaeam.or.ke
Reference
UNICEF (2011). The State of the World’s Children 2011, UNICEF, New York.
In this issue, we have the following abstracts for forthcoming PEER REVIEWED SCHOLARLY articles:
Editorial Professor. Wanjiku,J Khamasi. Chief Editor, University of Eldoret, Kenya.
Full Version
Nicholas Bii & Joyce Nzevu
Challenges of Coping with HIV and AIDS Psychosocial Stressors,
Full Version Mbutitia F. N
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