Thesis:

Assessment of the effect of subsidized funding on the Quality of education in public secondary schools in Bungoma south sub-county, Kenya

Education is the major key to national development of a country. In 1990 the World Declaration on Education for All (EFA) noted that generally poor quality of education needed to be improved and recommended that education be made both universally available and more relevant. The declaration also identified quality as a per-requisite for achieving the fundamental goal of equality. Emphasis was accordingly placed on assuming an increase in children’s cognitive development by improving quality of their education. In regard to this the government of Kenya launched free primary education in 2003 and subsidized secondary school funding in 2008. This was meant to address educational challenges such as illiteracy, low quality education, low transition rates from primary schools, low completion rates at secondary school level, high costs of education and poor community participation. This study was intended to assess subsidized funding on the quality of education in Public secondary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were be to find out how subsidized secondary school funding affects enrollment, determine the extent to which subsidized secondary school funding affects teaching and learning resources, assess the impact of subsidized secondary funding on the development of physical facilities and find out how the subsidized secondary funding has affected performance in K.C.S.E. The study was carried out in selected secondary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County. The researcher applied descriptive survey type of design for the study. The target population was all public secondary schools in Bungoma South Sub-County, their principals, teaching staff, education officers and opinion leaders at community level. For the sample size, the researcher selected 30% of the schools in each category for the study. This study was carried out using stratified sampling to select the schools involved in the study. Piloting was conducted in four selected public secondary schools in Bungoma South Sub- County. The main research instruments employed in primary data collection were questionnaires, interviews and observation schedule. Secondary data was collected from records on performance, participation, source and application of funds and analysis of KCSE results. For data analysis the researcher went through the instruments to first of all ascertain that they are complete and accurate. The data was then categorized into information that targeted objectives of the study. Analysis involved use of Pearson Coefficient Correlation and presented with the help of descriptive as well as inferential statistics. The research findings will be of help to education planners and administrators as regards decision making in areas that need to be addressed to make the implementation of the program more effective so as to achieve the intended objectives.