Strategies used for the implematation of free primary education in Mang'u Zone, Gatundu North District, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

The government of Kenya initiated the Free Primary Education program starting from January 2003 with a view to enhancing access, participation, quality and internal efficiency of primary education in the country. However, some major policy actions need to be put in place to improve its implementation. The major findings of the study showed that primary schools have been employing extra teachers and continued to solicit funds from parents, in the era of FPE programme, though they heavily depended on government funds. Despite this, resources in terms of personnel and finances still remained inadequate. The purpose of the study was to identify the type of strategies used in the process of implementing FPE in Mang'u Education zone in Gatundu North Sub-county of Kiambu County in Kenya. Key objective of the study was to establish whether Parents Teachers Associations/School Management Committees (PTAs/SMCs) have been employing extra teachers, to determine whether the local community supported Free Primary Education (FPE) and to determine other sources of funds available to school in the implementation of FPE. The study incorporated 15 government sponsored public primary schools in Mang'u Education zone, with a target population of 15 Head teachers and 45 executive members of schools management committees. The study adopted a survey design. Questionnaires and personal interviews were used to collect the data. Piloting and reliability of the research instruments was done through test-retest techniques. Data collected has been organized, tabulated and analyzed using frequency charts and percentages.