A study was made to investigate factors contributing to the low performance of primary school pupils in Embu District, Eastern Province, Kenya, both in classrooms and on the Certificate of Primary Education Examination. Two rich rural schools, two urban schools, and two poor rural schools were selected for comparison. From each school, three categories of respondents were chosen: standard-six pupils, standard-six teachers, and the head teachers of the schools. Research instruments consisted of three questionnaires, one for each category of participant. Findings indicated that (1) children are more interrupted in their education in rural than in urban areas, and a significant difference in interruption rate in rural areas exists due to socioeconomic factors; (2) children's educational performances are affected either positively or negatively by home living conditions, teachers, and school administration, as well as by parental and student attitudes toward learning; (3) parents' ability to expend money on education is a sign of their economic status; (4) socioeconomic factors have a total influence on educational interruption and consequently affect the performance of the interrupted pupil; and (5) pupils' education could be interrupted by as many as nine separate factors. It was concluded that the socioeconomic background of an area and pupil will affect the performance of the child in the classroom and on national examinations. All three questionnaires are appended. (RH)