TO FIND OUT CHALLENGES FACING PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAMMES TARGETING MANAGEMENT OF ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN NANDI CENTRAL SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Despite the overwhelming intervention strategies by concerned stakeholders in the education sector, curbing drug and substance abuse, especially among the youth, has not been achievable. The number of schools going youth being sucked into drug abuse is escalating day by day, leading into a crisis. The purpose of this study was to find out the challenges facing prevention education programmes targeting the management of alcohol and substance abuse among primary school pupils in Nandi Central sub-county, Kenya. The research was anchored on Social Learning Theory, associated with Bandura (1977). The target population for this study consisted of all standard eight pupils and guidance and counseling teachers in all 176 primary schools in Nandi Central Sub-County. Teachers who oversaw counseling and guidance were purposefully chosen. pupils were randomly chosen from the sampled schools to respond to a questionnaire. Critical case sampling was utilized to get one pupil from the 18 schools chosen earlier to participate in a focus group discussion. The study used the questionnaire, interview schedule, and focus group discussion guide in data collection. A Cronbach’s coefficient Alpha was computed to determine how items correlated amongst themselves, and a reliability coefficient of 0.70 was considered acceptable for internal consistency levels. Data from interviews and focus group discussions were thematically analyzed. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study findings revealed that there are challenges facing prevention education programmes targeting the management of alcohol and substance abuse among primary school pupils in Nandi Central sub-county, Kenya (mean = 3.564, standard deviation = 1.426). There is a need for a remedy to challenges facing prevention education programmes targeting the management of alcohol and substance abuse among primary school pupils in Nandi Central sub-county, Kenya (mean = 3.518, standard deviation = 1.342). The study concluded that challenges facing prevention education programs include financial constraints, insufficient collaboration with the local community, stigma associated with discussing substance abuse, and a lack of robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Tailored remedies are needed to address these challenges. A holistic, collaborative, and continuously evolving approach is necessary to effectively manage alcohol and substance abuse among primary school pupils in the Nandi Central sub-county.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0175/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>