Challenges in implementation of strategic plans in public secondary schools in Webuye constituency, Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Strategic plans are considered to be very important in the management and success of organisations, While institutions prepare strategic plans to chart me course of the directions they will take, secondary schools have been faced with the challenges in the implementation of their strategies thus affecting the quality of education. The purpose of this study was to determine the challenges in implementing strategic plans in public secondary schools in Webuye Constituency. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: investigate the proportion of public secondary schools that have formulated and are utilizing strategic plans, to establish factors that have influenced the successful implementation of school strategic plans to investigate the weaknesses and threats affecting implementation of school strategic plan and to determine the measures that can be taken to ensure effective implementation of secondary school strategic plans. Fayol's theory of business administration was used in the 'study. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The target population for the study was the 44 public secondary schools in Webuye Constituency of Bungoma County. Stratified random sampling was used to sample 12 public secondary schools, 12 principals, 24 BOG members, 12 teachers on PTA/SSIC and 2 AEOs. A total of 50 respondents participated in the study giving a response rate of 100 percent Data was collected through observation checklist, questionnaires and interview schedules. The instruments validity was tested using supervisors opinion while Spearman' s correlation coefficient was used to 'test on 'the reliability of the instruments where the instruments were considered reliable. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were used to analyze the data. The analyzed data was presented in the form of frequency tables, bar graphs and pie chart. The study revealed the following: first, 91 percent of the schools studied had formulated and were utilizing their strategic plans. Secondly, the factors influencing the successful implementation of strategic plans in schools include: the availability of trained staff, availability of finance, teacher motivation and leadership styles influenced the success of the implementation of strategic plan in schools to a large extent (mean score between 1.0 to 2.0). Thirdly, the major weaknesses and threats 10 the implementation of strategic plans in schools included; political influence, fees defaulting. Frequent teacher transfers, economic recession and government red tapes and bureaucracy (mean score ranging between 1.1 to 2.0). The study concluded that most of secondary schools in Webuye constituency had formulated and were implementing the strategic plans; that the factors influencing the success for the implementation of strategic plans in schools include: availability of trained staff, availability of finance, teacher motivation and leadership styles and that challenges facing the implementation of strategic plans in schools include: political influence, fees defaulting, frequent teacher transfers, economic recession and government red tapes and bureaucracy. The study recommended that Ministry of Education should ensure effective monitoring of the development and implementation of strategic plans in secondary schools from their district offices. This will ensure that all schools develop and implement strategic plans thus improving the management and performance of the schools. The study finally recommended that another study be done specifically on the effectiveness of strategic plan in providing quality education in. Secondary schools in other counties in Kenya.