An analysis of the constraints on enrolment in technical institutions in Nairobi County

Abstract

In the recent past Kenya has experienced an increased need for higher education. This has resulted from a large number of secondary school graduates seeking places in universities and middle level colleges. However the technical institutes have reported a decrease in the number of students preferring to pursue technical subjects. Most of the technical students prefer to enroll in business and accounting courses. The main objective of this study was to assess the constraints on enrollment in technical courses in technical institutes in Nairobi County. This research adopted a descriptive research design which involved collection of information through interviews and questionnaires from a sample of respondents. The subjects of the study included administrators (8), staff (184) and students (1300) in technical institutes in Nairobi County. The total sample size was 174(11.29%) comprising of 152(11.23%) students, 22(11.41%) members of staff and 2(25%) administrators. Secondary data was accessed through literary research in the library as well as the publications of the Ministry of higher education science and technology and other archival and documentary centers. Records of admission kept by the technical institutes were also used to provide information on the trends of admission into various technical courses in the institutes. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, especially the measures of central tendency (mean, mode and median). Data was organized in frequency distribution tables as well as measures of dispersion i.e. range and variance. Presentation of data is in form of tables and pie charts. The Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) software aided the analysis of the data collected. Several factors were found to influence the enrollment of students into various courses. The factors include influence of family, high school performance and gender. The reasons for disparity in enrollment were. stated as ignorance and attitudes towards certain courses. The study concluded that i) the enrollment levels in the technical institutes of Nairobi are increasing, ii) Several factors influence the choice of students during course selection including age, home environment and career guidance, iii) The ministry of education has played an important role in the provision of the required man power and taken a lead in curriculum revision and renovation of workshops.