Ngure, Susan Wanuri2012-03-012012-03-012012-03-01http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/2938The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination is done at the end of primary school education. It forms the bench by which the pupils graduate to the secondary schools. Over the years the performance ofthis exam in Murang'a has shown that the private schools have outdone the public ones. The study attempted to find out the factors that have contributed to the good performance of the private schools and the poor performance of the public schools. The study is organized into five chapters: Chapter one is the introduction. In this part the background of the research the problem statement, the purpose, the objectives, the significance, the limitations, assumptions and the research questions of this study are highlighted Chapter two covers the literature review derived from relevant studies in this field. Here the researcher reviews global literature, the history of education in Kenya, teachers and pupils characteristics and the school resources. Chapter three covers the research methodology. The research was conducted within a period of three months. Two questionnaires were used; one for the school head teacher where the general information of the school was established, and the other for the teachers where information on school instruction and learning was gathered. An observation guide was used to gather extra information on the school. The researcher administered the questionnaires to teachers, while she filled the observation guide during the school visit. Chapter four presents the findings of the study from the data collected and analysed. The research findings indicate that there are multiplicities of factors that have contributed to the disparity in performance between the two schools. It was established that factors such as the school's physical facilities and the teachers' professional qualifications did not have a significant contribution. However the school-based curriculum monitoring, teacher/pupil ratio, low-income and low-level of education of parents had a significant contribution to the performance of the KCPE. Chapter five consists of a summary of the study, conclusions and recommendations. The researcher gave seven recommendations and six suggestions for further research.enThesis