| dc.description.abstract | Droughts and floods affect schooling in prone areas through increased food insecurity,
water scarcity, poor health, insecurity, damaged infrastructure, and limited access to
schools. Although various measures have been implemented to mitigate the risks and
effects of drought and floods on schooling, the challenge persists. Based on a primary
survey of household for school attendance information, key informant interviews
for measures being taken and secondary data and information for trends on school
enrolment and dropout, this paper discusses the effects of droughts and floods
on schooling, measures taken to address them, challenges, and emerging issues.
The findings revealed that despite some preventive, preparedness, response, and
recovery measures being taken by the government and other stakeholders, droughts
and floods continue to pose serious threats, affecting learners’ health, damage to
homes, schools, and other infrastructure. This leads to increased absenteeism and
drop out from school, with an average of eight days of schooling missed per year,
and wastage at primary school level in prone counties higher than the rest of the
country by 10 per cent. The gross enrolment rate for counties prone to droughts and
floods prone is lower than the rest of the country by 30 per cent, with less than 60
per cent progression to secondary level. It is important to include need for increased
human and financial resources for enhanced preventive, preparedness, response and
recovery programmes, increased capacity building, community sensitization and
participation in related programmes. There is also a need to design and implement
policy frameworks to guide activities and coordination of actors and actions for
greater outcomes and reduced risk and effects of droughts and floods on schooling.
This will also reduce associated emergencies and suffering among communities and
reduce school absenteeism and dropout of learners in prone counties and ultimately
improve schooling, education, and human capital development | en |
