Influence of bursary scheme on retention of students in public secondary schools in Kiambaa constituency, Kiambu County

Abstract

The Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF), which was formally referred to as Secondary School Education Bursary Fund (SEBF), was established in 1993/4 financial year. The objective of the fund was to reduce the financial burden of Poor families in financing secondary education. CBF aims to cushion the country’s poor and vulnerable groups against the high and increasing cost of secondary education, therefore reducing inequalities. It is therefore necessary that an assessment be carried out to determine the efficiency of the Constituency Bursary Fund with a view of making its allocation better and more targeted to enhance retention of needy students in secondary schools. This study therefore sought to establish the influence of the SEBF on retention of students in public secondary schools in Kiambaa Constituency, Kiambu County. The objectives of the study were; to establish the extent to which the criteria given by the ministry of education on secondary education bursary fund has affected retention of students in secondary schools in Kiambaa Constituency, to determine the extent to which the bursary allocated is adequate to influence students’ retention in schools, to examine the extent to which consistency of bursary schemes fund influence retention of students in public secondary schools in Kiambaa constituency, to find out the strategies that can be employed to improve the bursary scheme to enhance retention of students in public secondary schools in Kiambaa constituency. The study used descriptive survey research design with quantitative and qualitative approaches used. The target population comprised all the 17 secondary schools in Kiambaa Constituency in Kiambu County. The sample size was made up of 90 students who had applied for bursary, 10 Principals and 3 CBF committee members. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires and interviews. To test validity and reliability of the instrument, questionnaires were issued to sample schools outside the population of study before embarking on the main research. Quantitative data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages and was presented using pie charts, bar graphs and frequency tables. The study established that the amounts awarded to the students was too little to enable them remain in school throughout the study period hence affecting their performance negatively. It also established that there was no consistency in allocation and that the allocations were not in line with the school calendar hence being of little help to the students in having them retained in school leading to poor performance. The study recommended that the main criteria that should be emphasized during allocation is the poverty level of the student and other considerations can follow after. School administration and community leaders should also be involved in the vetting process because they are in close contact with the students and can easily identify the needy ones.