The role of school inspectors in maintaining educational standards in secondary schools in Mwingi district, Eastern provinve-Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of school inspectors in maintenance of Educational Standards in Secondary schools in Mwingi District. The researcher chose the district because there have been an outcry on secondary schools general performance. The researcher sampled 12 secondary schools out of 39 drawn from the nine Educational Division of Mwingi District. Stratified sampling technique was applied to identify school according to criteria as type of school. The schools were sampled as Provincial and District Schools. From each category, the head teacher and three teachers were sampled yielding to 12 head teachers and 36 teachers. Among Ministry Officials sampled, were the DRO, D.I.S and nine inspectors each from the nine divisions of Mwingi District. The entire sampling matrix yielded to a total sampled size of 59 for the study. Three types of research instruments namely: School Inspection Interview Schedule for Education Officials, Headteachers ` inspection questionnaire and Teachers' inspection questionnaire were used to collect data. The researcher used descriptive statistics; Frequency and Percentages, from respondents to provide information needed for the study. The research findings reveal that: 1. Before 1998 inspectors were appointed from successful primary school Headteachers who excelled in the administration as well as their subject areas. Such inspectors are still in service today but they shy away from visiting secondary schools because of their academic status. 2. In-Service Training for inspectors are rare and newly appointed inspectors never receive any formal training of inspection of curriculum implementation. 3. School inspection has acquired negativity in that; inspectors are seen as fault finders rather than partners and source of formative guidance in curriculum implementation.

The study recommends that; 1. Inspectors should strictly be appointed from graduate teachers. 2. Inspectors should change their approach towards teachers and be more friendly to arouse teachers' interest in performing their professional duties. 3. The term Inspectors should be replaced with Quality Assurance Officers. This calls for radical review of Educational Act. Cap 211. 4. The D.I.S should be given a separate vote head to enable him co-ordinate inspectors well and intensify inspection of schools.