Influence of Unit Cost of Education on Students' Enrolment

Education forms the basis upon which economic, social and political development of any nation is founded. Despite the heavy expenditure on education by the overnments and households, little attention has been given to the unit cost of education of each student, especially by age and gender. The absence of age and gender in the existing literature of unit costs of education was the source of interest for this study. This study tries to answer three questions. First, to what extent does the average household expenditure on education of every student influence enrolment in secondary schools in Tharaka South Sub-county? Secondly, to what extent does average government expenditure on every student¿s education influence enrolment in secondary schools in Tharaka South Sub-County? Thirdly, is there age and gender education unit cost differentials in Tharaka South Sub-County? The study used correlational research design to establish the relationship between unit cost of education and students¿ enrolment rates in public secondary schools. The data was collected from household heads and principals of secondary schools and also from Ministry of Education offices.