EFFECTS OF SINGLE PARENTHOOD IN THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN: A CASE STUDY OF LYANTONDE MUNICIPALITY, LYANTONDE DISTRICT,

ABSTRACT

The recent rapid increase in divorce, along with its distinctive cultural and welfare

environments for single-parent families, makes Kenya an interesting case for

examining effects of single parenthood on children’s education. Using data from the

questionnaires distributed I compared the levels of educational aspiration and

student disengagement between students with two parents and those with a single

parent, distinguishing divorced single fathers, widowed single fathers, divorced

single mothers, and widowed single mothers.

Logistic regression analysis show that students with a divorced single parent,

regardless of gender of the parent, are much less likely to aspire to four-year

university education and more likely to be disengaged than their counterparts with

two parents. The effects of widowhood disappear once control variables are held

constant. Lower household income among single-parent families explains in part the

poorer educational outcomes of their children. Parent-child interaction is another

important mediating factor for the effect of single fatherhood but not for single

motherhood. The relevance of the extended family system and distinctive features of

post-divorce living arrangements in Kenya is discussed to understand the effects of

single parenthood.

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