Factors influencing extra fee charging under the free secondary education policy: the case of Nairobi East District

Abstract

In 2008 the Government of Kenya through Ministry of Education implemented the Free Secondary Education aimed at enhancing access to secondary education. FSE refers to an amount of Kshs ten thousand two hundred and sixty five per student per annum paid as a government subsidy. Despite the introduction of subsidized secondary education through FSE, public schools still impose charges that are far much greater than the amounts recommended by the government. The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors that cause school managements to charge higher extra fees under the FSE policy, forcing parents and students complain of disruption of studies. The scope of the study was the Public Secondary Schools in Nairobi East District and that are in receipt of free secondary education funds. This study employed the correlational design. Stratified random sampling was used in this study. The total sample size was 11 secondary schools. Primary data was collected using the questionnaire method. A set of questions, both open-ended and closed were developed for every variable. Both secondary and primary data on fees levies obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. These included frequency distribution tables, pie charts and related diagrams. The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the relationships among the variables. Various factors were found to significantly influence the charging of extra fees in the secondary schools. The factors include; the amount of FSE subsidy (P<0.05), failure of the government to provide equipment for laboratory and computer programmes and untimely disbursements of FSE amounts. The principals gave varying views on why they charged extra fees. Some of them (42.9%) said it was due to inflation and 28.6% was due to inadequacy of the FSE money. The study has revealed that the FSE ceilings were not set at appropriate levels hence they need to be revised. Several strategies are available for improving the FSE. They include review of the FSE subsidy to reflect inflation levels, provision of adequate staff and facilities to cater for the enormous enrollments, timely disbursement of the money, training of school managers on the management of funds and creating awareness in parents on the FSE policy and the roles they have to play.