Fishing activities and academic performance of secondary school students in Rachuonyo north sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of fishing related activities on academic performance of secondary school students in Rachuonyo North Sub-County. The specific objectives were to examine the activities associated with fishing and determine how they influenced academic performance of secondary students in the Sub-County. The study targeted students and principals of the 49 secondary schools in Rachuonyo North Sub-county. The research used simple random sampling to select 14 public secondary schools and 20 Form Three students from each of the sampled schools. The total sample size was 292 respondents. Primary data was collected and analysed using quantitative and qualitative methods and then presented in tables in percentages. Data analysis was done using SPSS and the Microsoft Excel software. The study established that students participated in fishing activities while attending school. Major fishing activities that students engaged in included: actual fishing an agreement  index of 82.9% of students; repairing of fishing nets which was supported by 74.2% of students; setting of nets in the lake which was supported by 84.4% of students; and removal of fish from the nets which was agreed to by 83.9% of students. Some (91.7%) of the students believed that their counterparts who engaged in fishing activities tended to perform poorly in their classwork.  The study has recommended that parents, School Boards of Management and the communities along the beaches collaborate with each other in order to keep students from engaging in fishing activities for this likely to improve school attendance and academic performance of students. The Government should enforce compulsory basic education as well as provide it free to all children at this level of education.