Effectiveness of decentralized teacher recruitment and placement in public secondary schools in Bungoma County

Abstract

Since the inception of the TSC in 1967, the government had been employing teachers using the supply driven method The government recruitment policy changed in the year 2001. Decentralized teacher recruitment was intended to improve learning outcomes for institutions and schools to be given an opportunity to recruit the best persons who were ready to work for schools for at least five years before being considered for transfer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of decentralized teacher ecruitment and replacement in public secondary schools in Bungoma South District The discrepancy model was adopted for the study. A descriptive survey research design was used in the study. The study population consisted of 26 head teachers of public secondary schools, 26 deputy head teachers and the district staffing officer (Bungoma South) . Purposive sampling was used in selecting 2 boys school and 3 girls school in the district. Simple random sampling was used to select 15 mixed schools thus a sample size of 20 head teachers and 20 deputy head teachers was used in this study. Saturated sampling techniques were used to select the District staffing Officer (Bungoma South). Questionnaires were used to collect data from both the DSO and head teachers. Interviews were used to collect more information from the deputy head teachers. Validity and reliability of instruments was determined before use. Quantitative data based on the responses were analyzed by using descriptive statistics namely frequencies and percentages and then presented using tables and graphs. This was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The qualitative data from respondents was analyzed for content as themes and subthemes as they emerged. The findings of the study revealed that there was disparity in distribution of subject teachers with some being evenly distributed and others being unevenly distributed contrary to the objective of decentralization. The study revealed that the recruitment exercise was fairly effective. From the study, it was concluded that the policy had not fully achieved its objectives. It was recommended that the policy on decentralization be reviewed to address the objectives of decentralization.