Publication: Assessment of user charges on access and retention In public secondary schools in Gatundu north District, Kiambu county
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2013-10
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Mount Kenya University
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Abstract
Charging for education which should be free is a global phenomenon. In developed countries,
education is usually financed by the states. In developing countries, there are user charges which are
levied in schools. In Kenya, the government is expected to meet tuition fees in schools while parents
are to pay for other school requirements. After the introduction of free primary education in Kenya in
2003, many children were able to attend schools. However, at secondary level the user charges and
other related direct costs are too high that access and retention of students in schools has remained a
big challenge. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess user charges on access and retention
in public secondary schools in Gatundu North District. The objectives of the study were to: find out
the effects of user charges on access in public secondary schools in Gatundu North District, to
determine the retention rate of students in schools based on user charges, to establish possible ways of
enhancing access and retention in schools. The study is of significance especially to policy makers in
ministry of education and technology, head teachers and teachers, local communities, donors, all the
stakeholders in education and researchers. The study has reviewed related literature. The study
employed classical liberal theory. The study has used a mixed methodology; qualitative and
quantitative. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. The scope of the study was all
public secondary schools in Gatundu North District. The target population comprised of 27 head
teachers, 368 teachers and 1445 form four students. Stratified random sampling and simple random
sampling were used to select 20 percent of public secondary schools in the district. A sample population
consisted of 157 respondents. The data was collected using questionnaires for head teachers, teachers
and students and document analysis was also used. The piloting of research instruments was conducted
in one school in the district. Validity testing was done by requesting the experts in research methods
to assess relevance of the content used in the questionnaire. Reliability testing was done by using test-
retest technique. Qualitative data was analyzed in narrative form while quantitative data was presented
in frequency tables, charts and percentages. The study found that different schools charge different
amount of user charges and students are frequently sent home to collect school fees. The study therefore
recommends for introduction of school vouchers, more allocation of bursary funds, revision of
government funds and introduction and development of more day schools.
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