Challenges om tje disbursement of Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF) to public secondary school students in Bobasi constituency Kenya
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Date
2012-03-30
Authors
Mwembi, Titus Orera
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Abstract
Secondary school education is very critical in any education system because of its crucial role in
catalyzing national development. Consequently, maintaining a high student enrollment at this level
should be a priority for all countries. The Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF) was established by the
Government of Kenya in 2003 to ensure that needy students have access to secondary education. It
was anticipated that there would be fairness and efficiency in the bursary allocation process.
However, contrary to these high expectations, cases of complaints about the disbursement of the
Constituency Bursary Fund were many. It was on the basis of those complaints that the study was
conducted,
The main objective of the study was to find out the extent to which the official criteria was
followed in allocating the bursaries to students, problems of adequacy, disbursement and equity
considerations, leakages and if any, whether there were mechanisms in place to address complaints
and issues raised in allocating the bursary fund.
This study was guided by the Classical Liberal Theory. A theory that emphasizes on social
mobility being promoted by equal opportunity on education. It was found relevant because
challenges in disbursement resulted in poor families withdrawing their children from school
prematurely. This impacted negatively on education as the theory looks at education as a great
equalizer.
The study population consisted of 320 high school bursary applicants and recipients in Bobasi
constituency in the year 2011, 56 teachers and 13 committee members of Bobasi Constituency
Bursary Fund. 7 public secondary schools were also targeted.
A descriptive research design that involves measurement, classification, analysis, comparison and
interpretation of data was adopted. Questionnaires, interview and observation schedules were used
to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, which was then coded, tabulated and analyzed
both descriptively and statistically using tables, figures and percentages.
This study concluded that the criteria of determining the genuinely needy students had limitations.
It had limitations both on governance, efficiency, effectiveness and consistence in support. The
fund was also not equitably awarded among boys and girls and among schools. The fund was
found to experience the following impediments: Low and inadequate funding from the government
that could not meet the demands of the high number of the needy applicants, Political interference
by the local politicians, Delays by the government to disburse these funds which inconvenienced
many needy students and Mechanisms of addressing bursary related complaints which were
somewhat ineffective.
The study recommends that the government should increase through treasury, the Constituency
Bursary Fund if the fund is to have any impact on the applicants who expect to be served
effectively. It should also establish a management framework devoid of political manipulation to
run the fund. The bursary awarding evaluation criteria should emphasize on the school teachers'
assessment of continuing students' need for financial support/assistance. The fund should also be
disbursed in November and allocated to students in December to avoid delays in disbursement.
Finally but not least, efficiency, effectiveness and fairness in the bursary management should be
enhanced.
Description
Department of educational management, Policy and curriculum studies, 107p. The LB 2970 .K4O7 2011
Keywords
Education --finance --Kenya --Bobasi constituency | Education,secondary --Kenya --Bobasi Constituency, Education,secondary --Kenya --Bobasi Constituency, Education --finance --Kenya --Bobasi constituency