Factors influencing internal efficiency of primary schools under free primary education policy in Suba- East Division.

Abstract

This study investigated the factors that influence internal efficiency of primary schools in Suba - East division under the FPE policy. It involved a selected cluster sample of25 schools whose head teachers participated in the study. It also involved 70 repeaters who were in grade 4 up to and including grade 8 of primary schools. Thirty-six children who had dropped out of school after the inception ofFPE also participated in the study. Questionnaires were administered to the head teachers while data was collected from the repeaters and dropouts by use ofFGD. The data was then analyzed descriptively and by Pearson's product - moment correlation. The study found out that despite the introduction ofFPE to improve internal efficiency in primary schools; primary schools in Suba - East division still revealed high rates of repetition and dropouts. This was influenced majoriy by school administrative practices and poverty amongst those who repeat and dropout. It was further found out that there exist a positive and significant correlation co - efficient between teacher­ pupil ratio and repetition and also between textbooks availability and repetition. A conclusion was therefore reached that for FPE policy to positively impact on the internal efficiency, there is a need for schools to do away with administrative practices that tolerate repetition. The government also needs to augment FPE policy

by other programmes that will impact positively on the socio - economic standards of the poor and the marginalized in Suba - East division. This is because children from poor backgrounds face increasing opportunity costs as they continue staying in school, a fact that makes them to dropout.