Publication:

Challenges facing effective implementation of free secondary Education in public secondary schools in Ruiru district, Kiambu County, Kenya.

The launch of Free Primary Education (FPE) in Kenya in 2003 resulted to high enrolments of pupils in the primary schools. However only a small proportion of these pupils were able to access and complete their secondary education due to the cost implications of high school fees which was a burden to many parents. Towards this end the government of Kenya launched the Free Secondary Education (FSE) initiative in 2008 as a strategy to address the challenges brought about by the introduction of FPE. Concerns have however been raised over the implementation of the FSE programme. These concerns were not founded on any systematic studies or supported by empirical data. The purpose of this study therefore is to investigate the challenges facing the effective implementation of FSE in Ruiru District, Kenya in relation to adequacy of learning resources and funding to schools. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. Proportionate sampling was used to select the head teachers and teachers while purposive sampling was used to select the ZQASOs. Questionnaires were used as instruments for collecting data from the head teachers and teachers while interview schedules were administered to Zonal Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (ZQASOs). Validity of the instruments was done through experts in research and piloting. Reliability was tested by subjecting the instruments to a pilot study through the split-half technique and then Spearman Brown Prophesy formula was used to compute a reliability coefficient. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics after data cleaning and coding. Quantitative data was analyzed using frequency counts, means and percentages while qualitative data was analyzed by tallying the numbers of similar responses. Results of data analysis was be presented using frequency distribution tables. The government should allocate enough funds in time and resources to schools to ensure that free secondary school education runs smoothly without compromising quality of education. The study established that lack of adequate funds and resources was the biggest challenge affecting effective implementation of free secondary