The Subsidized Secondary Education Policy: What are the Socio- Economic and Cultural Implications on Equitable and Quality Education in Madera West District, Mandera County; Kenya.

Abstract

The gist of this paper was to examine the socio-economic and cultural implications of subsidized secondary education policy on equity and quality education in Mandera West District, Mandera County, Kenya. The study was premised on the Reconstructionist Theory propounded by Brameld and George Counts that emphasizes the need to address social questions and a quest to create a better society and wonderful democracy. Mixed methods involving quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect and analyze data from a stratified sample of 126 respondents comprising of headteacher, teachers, members of the Board of Management, and Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QUASO). The findings revealed mixed results in the sense that although the subsidized secondary education policy was making remarkable impact in terms of accelerated access to education, there was high wastage exhibited in low transition rates from lower to upper classes, low retention rate, widening inequality that was negatively affecting education of the girl-child, and overall low quality of education. The major factors contributing to this scenario were largely socio-economic and cultural in nature, with poverty, low formal educational attainment of most parents, low premium attached to the education of the girl-child and some retrogressive socio-cultural factors being the most conspicuous. The school based factors compromising equity and quality education included; unfriendly schools especially to the females, overcrowding in classes, high student –teacher ratios, and inadequate and poorly maintained physical and instructional resources. It was concluded that the subsidized secondary education policy was not efficient and effective in providing equitable and quality education. It was recommended that there should be increased campaigns to empower the economic status of communities and reverse their negative attitude towards education, increase funding to schools for the purchase of the critical instructional resources geared towards creating more child friendly schools and enhanced students’ academic performance