Relationship of Strategic planning and improvement of quality of Education in public secondary schools in Kenya

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the influence of strategic planning in improving the quality of education. The quality of education is directly linked to the effort expended in making arrangements or preparations of educational objectives and determining the requisite resources to facilitate the training, instruction or study that leads to the acquisition of skills or knowledge. Education at secondary level is of particular importance because it seeks to augment the general intellectual skills acquired at primary level, which are also relevant to any productive occupation including subsequent education. In Kenya, the Decentralized Education Management Activity initiative by the Ministry of Education in 2012 in partnership with USAID embarked on capacity development among education managers at the district and school level to enable them prepare and implement strategic plans. This notwithstanding, education at secondary level continues to experience unique challenges which are more often attributed to deficiencies in planning. This literature review paper focuses on educational administrators’ perceptions of strategic plans, their formulation, implementation and their effects on the quality of education. From literature reviewed, it is clear that the role of strategic planning in enhancing quality is vital. Strategic planning is viewed as a tool that enables stakeholders to increasingly contribute to the school’s strategic objectives which result in long-term sustainability and improvement in quality of education.