An investigation of impact of public financing of adult literacy programme on participation rates in Murang'a South District, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to asses the impact of public financing of adult literacy programmes on participation rates in adult education centres in Murang'a South District by examining the adequacy of public financing, sources of public financing and priority areas of public financing, challenges facing adult education centres and their influence on participation rates in adult education centres. The study adopted the descriptive survey design and targeted (1) District Adult Education Officer, four (4) Divisional Adult Education Officers, sixty (60) adult literacy teachers and six hundred and fifty (650) learners from which 1 District Adult Literacy Officer, 3 divisional adult literacy officers, 30 adult literacy teachers and 48 learners making a total of 82 respondents were sampled for the study. This was done using simple random sampling technique and the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table for determining Sample Size for Research Activities. The study findings revealed that most adult education centres in Murang'a South district had not received direct funding from the government in the last three financial years and that the funds given to a few centres were not adequate making these centres unable to acquire adequate and suitable physical facilities as well as teaching and learning resources. The financing agencies of adult education programmes had imposed conditions for qualification for funding which were prohibitive making only a few centres to benefit from funding. Priority was given to the provision of basic adult education facilities paying little attention to learners' needs and aspirations through programmes such as income-generating projects. All this has led to learners having little interest to join and remain in the programme due to lack of conducive learning environment and lack of incentives. The study recommends that the government and other public financing agencies of adult education programmes should increase their allocations to adult education to ensure that there are adequate funds to finance adult education programmes. Conditions imposed before allocation of funds should also be relaxed so that many deserving adult education centres benefit from public financing. Adult education financing agencies and providers should also give priority to programmes that promote enrolment and retention such as income-generating projects instead of emphasising on literacy.