An evaluation of stakeholders participation in the sustainability of physical facilities in day secondary schools in Imenti North District-Kenya

Abstract

The cost of providing education has risen above the ability of the government. In fact, education takes between five percent and seven percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). At the national level, education takes seventy three percent of the social sector expenditures. Since June 2004, the Ministry of Education has been working closely with a wide range of stakeholders in the education sector to help cost share this huge budget (M.O.E, 2005). For day secondary schools the government has pledged to meet the tuition expenses while parents and other stakeholders meet the cost of uniforms, lunch and physical facilities. The physical facilities include classrooms, laboratory, library, water, electricity, land, administration block, sanitation facilities gate, flowers, flagpost, fences and sign boards. These physical facilities are inadequate in most of the day schools.

This project therefore evaluates the participation of these stakeholders in the sustainability of physical facilities in day schools in Imenti North District. The project is important because it identified the inactive stakeholders who require capacity building to promote their role. Imenti North District has got twenty six (26) day secondary schools which have been established since 2003. The sampling design adopted for this project was simple random sampling. Descriptive survey was employed with the questionnaire as the main tool for data collection.

The research was basically qualitative and principals of day schools, teacher members of the P.T.A, area education officers (A.E.O), chiefs and councilors were the respondents. The collected data was analyzed and findings presented in tables and charts. The findings thereafter were used to draw conclusions and outline recommendations. The total respondents interviewed were 76 and each was given the relevant questionnaires. The return rate of the questionnaire was 100% of which 80.26 were male and 19.74 were female.

The findings revealed minimal direct participation by the government. The government participation was indirect through the C.D.F grants which made 53.7% of the overall stakeholders' participation. The P.T.A was seen as ineffective due to sanctions from the Ministry of Education which permits any levies. The local community had minimal participation of 17.1 % in the provision of physical facilities in day secondary schools. The B.O.G limits its role to only planning for the money sourced from donors and parents. It also emerged that stakeholders face several challenges which limit their contribution in the provision of physical facilities.

The study concludes that stakeholders have abdicated their roles and capacity building is recommended to enhance stakeholders' knowledge, skills, attitude, values and practices. The B.O.G members should be people with university degrees and people of high integrity bearing in mind that currently only 15% members of B.O.Gs have university degrees. The P.T.A should also be entrenched in the constitution to give the parents body more power to levy the dues capable of raising substantial amounts for providing physical facilities.