Determinants of Internal Efficiency in Public Primary Schools in Maara Sub - County, Tharaka - Nithi County, Kenya
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Date
2019
Authors
Mutegi, Gerald Nyaga
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Education is a very significant sector in any economy. The gains from education
include the formation of human capital necessary for both private and public
sectors. Despite increased government funding in education, many pupils in
primary schools do not benefit due to drop outs, absenteeism and repetition. This
leads to wastage and hence affects internal efficiency in education. This study was
aimed at assessing the factors affecting internal efficiency in public primary
schools in Maara Sub-County, Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya. The study was
guided by three objectives which were; to determine the trends in retention in
public primary schools, to establish the reasons for absenteeism, repetition and
wastage and to suggest recommendations on how to curb this negative trend in
order to improve internal efficiency in public primary schools. The study adopted
the descriptive survey design for data collection. The target population included all
the pupils in 103 public primary schools in Maara Sub-County. Data were
collected using interview schedules for five educational officers, while
questionnaires were used for the 20 headteachers, 50 teachers and 130 pupils. The
study adopted “The education production function theory” developed by a
sociologist, James, S. Coleman published in 1966. The Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for analysis of quantitative data, while content
analysis was used in analyzing qualitative data. The study established that
absenteeism, repetition, and dropout were the main factors affecting internal
efficiency in public primary schools in Maara Sub-County. The study found that
the main causes of absenteeism, repetition and school dropouts were poverty, child
labour, indirect and hidden charges in school, and teenage pregnancies. The study
recommended that abolition of forced repetition, early release of free primary
education funds, and Guidance and counselling services to be strengthened to
provide counselling services in public primary schools.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of
Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement
For the Award of the Degree of Master of Education
(Economics of Education) at Kenyatta University
Keywords
Public Primary Schools, Maara Sub - County, Tharaka - Nithi County, Kenya, Absenteeism