Factors Influencing Sustainability Of Economic Stimulus Programmes In Secondary Schools In Kitui County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors influencing sustainability of Economic Stimulus Programmes (ESP) in secondary schools in Kitui County. This study was guided by the following objectives: to determine the influence of principal’s management skills on sustainability of Economic Stimulus Programmes in secondary schools, to establish the influence of monitoring and evaluation, to determine the influence of school sponsor on sustainability of Economic Stimulus Programmes in secondary schools and the influence of community involvement on sustainability of ESP in secondary schools in Kitui County. The study used a descriptive survey research design. The target population included all the secondary schools in Kitui County who have benefited from ESP funds and census sampling was used to select all the schools that had received the ESP funds to participate in the study. Questionnaires and structured interview guides were used for data collection. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (multiple regression, ANOVA and correlations). The findings are presented in frequency distribution tables, while qualitative data was analysed using inferential statistics. The study found that principals management skills were key in the sustainability of ESP in Schools within Kitui county. This was probably due to many in-service training workshops and seminars organised for heads of schools in implementing the ESP within and outside the county. The school sponsors, monitoring and evaluation by the government and Community involvement did not have influence on the sustainability of the ESP, and their participation is therefore insignificant in the success of the ESP. The study concludes that the ESP in Kitui County is sustainable owing to the administrative experience in the secondary schools, level of stakeholder involvement and participation. The study recommends that all the stakeholders should be provided with regular and continuous support in terms of training to facilitate better mechanisms, formation of internal policies, legislation, proper monitoring of the ESP.