An Investigation on Education Administrationacademic Results in Primary Schools of Kandara District Murang’a County.

Abstract

Education empowers and equips with knowledge that enable facilitate eradication of poverty and societal vices around the world. Countries that have high literacy levels have formidable economic strengths e.g. developed nations, while those with more illiterate people manifest decimal economic performance. Importance of serious investment in education by any nation on the earth cannot be over – emphasized. Various countries have organized their education systems, which vary from one nation to other mainly depending on the demands on the job market. These education systems are put to work by governments. The effectiveness of an education system is influenced by many factors, which in turn determine the quality of production. Kenya is a developing country and it has relentlessly endeavored to improve the number of literate people in her state, through several programmes which include; a) Scrapping of common entrance examination which was done at Std Four (CEE) which tended to discourage many learners from continuing with education after failing at primary four level. b) Introduction of free education from Standard 1 to Standard four ( 1977); and adding another free class level each of the following years until all classes in the primary schools were not paying fees (in 1980). c) Provision of free milk in primary schools (1978) aimed the learners’ nutritional needs (though the programme later collapsed). d) Introduction of practical oriented subjects line homescience, art/craft, music in 1985 s). e) Re – introduction of Free Primary Education (Year 2003). f) Introduction of Free Secondary Education (FSE) in 2008). However despite all these programmes (and many others), many areas did not perform as expected of particular concern is the deterioration of education performance in the Central Province regions, since previously it was doing well. It was after introduction of FPE that some pockets of Central Province failed to perform well especially in primary levels. The main concern of this research proposal is to establish whether or not this anomaly could be caused by the District Education Officers, contrary to popular believe that teachers, parents and politicians are main contributors to education failure at primary level. District education officers are major stakeholders in education and powerfully influence the pedagogical styles administered in curriculum delivery in the District. Such officers are directly incharge of overseeing running of primary schools in their area of jurisdiction. Still, after the K.C.P.E results are released late during every year failure is associated with anybody (or anything) else apart from these District education administrators. When the situation is observed closely, an alarm of intriguing concern is triggered. These officers remain complacent and even join other people in vehemently blaming the teachers, especially head teachers, when poor results (K.C.P.E.) are registered. The DEA have vital roles they ought to play in ensuring quality education has been realized, but the challenge which is always not addressed is, do they execute their duties properly and in time? In this trend of thought, do; (a) Public / teachers know the officers roles in education matters? (b) The District Education Administrators interact with teachers / public in matters genuinely and directly aimed at provision of quality, education? (c) The DEA equally distribute teachers to all schools? (d) The DEA respond smoothly and promptly to correct and check any challenges that could hinder quality delivery of academic instructions? (e) The D.E.A execute their responsibilities us judiciously and efficiently as expected of them? (f) The DEA motivate or demotivate the public, teachers or learners in the process of doing their work and does it have an adverse influence on academic results? Upon provision of solutions to the above questions, the position of DEA could be observed. The weakness can be managed while strengths will be encouraged