School Health Services and Pupils’ Academic Performance in Geita Town Council

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing the influence of school health services on pupils’ academic performance in Geita town council. The Gay and Airasian methods were used to determine the sample size of the study. Seventeen head teachers and seventeen health teachers from seventeen public primary schools within Geita town council were selected. The data was collected through questionnaires and interviews to determine the current school health services provided and their influence on pupils’ academic performance. Validity of data collection was tested using a pilot study. Using Cronbach Coefficient Alpha, reliability was tested and a coefficient of 0.7 was realized, which was considered reliable. The quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) for producing descriptive statistics that gave tables of frequencies and percentages. Meanwhile qualitative data was coded thematically for easier narration. The study results reveal that, when pupils receive the health services or medical services they tend to be at school and concentrate in their studies. Performance in the National Examinations in Geita Town Council from 2018 to 2021 shows that, those schools that received health services tended to improve on their academic performance. However, there were schools that received health services and yet their performance was wanting.