Impact of bursary award on the internal efficiency of secondary schools in Gucha District, Kisii County, Kenya
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Date
2012-04-02
Authors
Onkoba, Benjamin
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Abstract
Internal efficiency in the provision of education is the aim of stakeholders such as the
government, parents and students, indicators of efficiency can be used to measure
effectiveness of schools in achieving institutional and national goals. Whereas it is central to
government policy, head teachers to put in place ways of promoting internal efficiency and
reducing factors or conditions that contributing to inefficiency. Thus the problem of the study
was to try and assess the impact of bursary on internal efficiency in secondary schools. The
study employed descriptive design and location of the study was Gucha District. The target
population was public secondary schools. The study employed instruments such as
questionnaire, oral interview and document analysis. While validity of the instrument
involved piloting them in one of the school and reliability determined by Test re-test and
correlation coefficient of 0.71 was accepted. Data analysis was done using percentages,
thematic analysis and reporting was done using graphical representation such as charts and
percentage tables. The study found out that the role of administration was minimal and
insignificant in selection of the needy, the number of applicants are usually more and hence
not adequate and even those awarded cannot meet their financial needs, the management of
bursary by constituency committee is overridden with a number of negative influences such
as nepotism and political inclination that makes them to be considered as fair, the existing
bursary committee entrusted with management of this kitty has weakness affecting the
performance of its duty more so identification, award and disbursement of the bursary which
is always delayed, although Kenya National Union of Teachers and Kenya Secondary
Schools Heads Association are members of the bursary committee to oversee fairness,
Monitoring, evaluation and follow ups. They have not been effective to enhance participation
of needy in secondary education and that Ministry of Education guidelines used by the
committee were found to be widespread to take care of all those deemed needy and
vulnerable with funds for support from the kitty. However, the selection is more intricate and
amount given being varied means certain needy students may not benefit from the bursary
investment in education by government, hence denying them the right opportunities to access
education and complete the secondary cycle. Based on the findings of this study, the
researcher recommended that proper criterion and guidelines should be put in place to ensure
that only needy and vulnerable benefit from the bursary kitty, selection and identification of
needy and vulnerable should be transparent hence a good reason to involve headteachers and
class teachers as they are able to provide accurate information other than mere
recommendation, schools be encouraged through BoG to start income generating activities in
order to supplement what is provided by the government for supporting the needy and
vulnerable groups and that further study be carried on whether management of the bursary
should be reverted to schools directly from constituency bursary committees.
Description
Department of Educational Management Policy & Curriculum Studies, 62p. The LB 2826.6.K4.O5 2011
Keywords
Education --Kenya --Finance, Education, secondary --Kenya