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This was an empirical study purposed to analyse the role of pedagogical, environmental and socio economic factors in public primary schools’ pupil retention in Lusaka, Zambia against the resounding concern about the reduction in number of pupils who were able to transition to upper levels after enrolment. The objectives of the study were: to describe pedagogical processes which lead to low retention rate among public primary school pupils; to explore school environmental factors which contribute to low retention rate among public primary school pupils; and to analyse socio-economic factors responsible for low retention rates among public primary school pupils. A survey method was employed incorporating a descriptive paradigm. The questionnaires were distributed to 10 selected public primary schools in Lusaka based on the District Education Board’s 66 currently established public primary schools list as at 2020. The study targeted a total of 100 respondents out of which 92 responded successfully. The respondents comprised head teachers, deputies, school counsellors, senior teachers, class teachers, and school administrators. Questionnaire responses were subjected to analysis using excel and SPSS to gain in-depth understanding of the phenomena with the results being presented in charts, figures, tables and graphs while content responses were presented in text format. The key findings were that pedagogical factors including poor teaching approaches, methods / techniques, teacher qualifications, teacher unpreparedness and teacher attitude played a critical role in contributing to low retention of pupils in public primary schools. Environmentally, it was established that factors such as lack of adequate facilities / resources in schools e.g. text books, proper water and sanitary facilities, teacher availability, class room, furniture, school outlook and surroundings contributed to the problem. On socio economic fronts; family poverty, nutrition, child labour, loss of parent/guardian were topping the list as being prohibitive to children’s perseverance and persistence in their education radar. Some Parents/guardians were said not to be able to buy school shoes, uniform and pay other minor user fees like sports or PTA fund etc, which led to some School Administrators / Head teachers sending away such children despite government policy not to chase any child on such grounds. Compounding the situation was the fact that government’s policy interventions such as introduction of feeding programmes, sponsorship of orphans and vulnerable children have been negatively affected by the declining education financing levels from central government since 2016. The resultant effect overall is an increase in the number of children out of school from over 195,000 in 2015 to over 800,000 in 2019 as national aggregates. The study, therefore, recommends that educationists and policy makers need to consider the issues raised herein with great precaution and urgency so that the resources invested in the education sector will be realised with a dividend.

The Role of Pedagogical, Environmental and Socio Economic Factors in Pupils’ Retention Rate in Public Primary Schools in Lusaka, Zambia