Implementation of Government Policies on Sanitation and implication on Pupils’ Participation in Public Primary Schools in Nakuru County, Kenya.
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Date
2022
Authors
Khasiala, Emmaculate
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The introduction of Free Primary Education (FPE) in Kenya resulted into progressive increase in pupil enrolment rate in primary schools over the years. However, the school infrastructure was not developing as fast as the increase in pupils’ population. Due to the growing pupil enrolment rate and slow development of school infrastructure, many schools in Kenya experienced infrastructural strain, including sanitation facilities. To curb this challenge, the government of Kenya formulated sanitation policies to ensure that schools provided adequate sanitation facilities to learners to avoid exposing them to diseases related to either inadequate or poor sanitation. Despite the policies being in place, many pupils in Naivasha Sub-County have been ailing from diseases related to poor sanitation as recorded by the local health centers as well as the Ministry of Health of Nakuru County. To understand why such a situation has been persisting, the researcher studied the implementation of government policies on sanitation and its implication on pupils’ participation in primary schools in Naivasha Sub-County. The objectives of the study were: To establish the trends of implementation of the government policies on sanitation in primary schools; to determine the roles of the school stakeholders in the implementation of government policies on sanitation; to analyze the challenges faced by schools in the implementation of government policies on sanitation in schools; to evaluate the implication of the implementation of government policies on pupils’ participation and lastly to identify strategies that can be put in place to enhance the implementation of sanitation policies in schools. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 1 Sub-County education officer, 8 Head teachers, 40 teachers, 16 Board of Management members 16 parents and 280 pupils. Questionnaires, interview schedules, Observation Checklist, Focused Group Discussion, and Document analysis were used as tools for data collection. The obtained data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative data was presented in tables and graphs while Qualitative data was presented in thematic form. The findings were: Schools in Naivasha Sub-County implemented the sanitation policies despite the challenges; schools in slums and rural areas had significantly less access to sanitation resources as compared to their counterparts in the urban areas; school stakeholders were not playing their roles efficiently in the implementation of school sanitation; failure in the implementation of sanitation policies has an implication on pupils' participation in school activities. In conclusion, schools in slums and rural areas in the study area will continue to experience poor sanitation and illnesses among pupils despite the policies being in place, unless deliberate efforts are put in place to help improve the state of their school sanitation. The study recommends that: The County Government of Nakuru should ensure that the schools are given adequate resources needed to improve the level of school sanitation. Policy makers on the other hand should be clear on the roles that school stakeholders should play in the implementation of school sanitation. Finally, school administrators should be diligent and efficient in implementing the government policies on sanitation.
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Comparative Education), Kenyatta University, September, 2022
Keywords
Government Policies, Sanitation, Pupils’ Participation, Public Primary Schools, Nakuru County, Kenya