Problems affecting inspection in public secondary schools within Thika municipality of Thika District, Central Province, Kenya

Abstract

Inspection is a phenomenon seen throughout educational institutions in the world. In Kenya, just like in other countries, inspection is aimed at establishing and maintaining educational standards. This is achieved through proper curriculum implementation. Inspectors move from school to school to ascertain if the schools are following the laid down procedures. However, it has been noted that this is not always the case. Some schools have been known to exist illegally and cases have been reported in the press and even in educational reports questioning the role of the inspectorate in the face of students' strikes.

Teachers have, for example, been reported to have raped their students, some schools operate without adequate facilities and others are located in places that are not conducive for learning. In all this, fingers have been pointed at the inspectorate which is supposed to playa regulatory role.

This study set out to investigate the problems that would be hampering the inspectorate from effectively performing its role within Thika Municipality of Thika District, Central Province. The research design used was descriptive survey. The population consisted of 188 teachers and 17 inspectors. A sample of 35 teachers and 5 inspectors was randomly selected. Questionnai~es were formulated and personally adrninistered to the teachers in public secondary schools within the , Municipality who were randomly selected. Another set of questionnaires was administered to the inspectors through purposive sampling. Percentages and frequencies were used to analyze data which was later presented qualitatively and quantitatively.

From the study it emerged that inspectors faced several problems which included inadequate funds, lack of transport and communication facilities, negative attitude from those they inspected, namely the teachers, inadequate professional training, work overload, lack of computers, lack of follow-up, delayed implementation of their recommendations by their seniors and lack of co-operation from teachers during inspection.

The inspectors advanced several suggestions on how to alleviate these problems. These include recruitment of more personnel, provision of computers, provision of transport and communication facilities, employment of clerks to assist in clerical work and to speed up report writing.

Owing to the important role played by the inspectorate arm of the MOEHRD, the study advanced several recommendations which include among others the need to have an autonomous inspectorate. This recommendation was supported by the inspectors' view that funding was inadequate. They felt that if the inspectorate had direct fundingfr.om the treasury much would be achieved .

Regular inservicing of inspectors was seen as a vital step towards enhancing the inspectors' performance. The study further recommended that communication be enhanced and in the era of mobile telephony and the internet, the same should be provided to facilitate co-ordination and communication.

Finally, the study identified areas for further research, such as the relationship between inspection and performance in exams and in a replication of the study to ascertain whether measures to alleviate the identified problems had been instituted or whether they still persisted.