| dc.description.abstract | The thrust of this research project was an investigation into the hidden costs embedded in the
current Free Primary Education and their implication in the implementation process of this programme in public
primary schools; a case study of Matungulu Division in Machakos District. In the reviewed literature, it has been
that education is a human right; therefore elementary education should be free and compulsory. However, in the
developing countries, it has been a hurdle to meet these basic requirements. In the Kenya, Free Primary Education
Policy was enacted in January 2003 and its implementation was a landmark policy decision by the government of
the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). The country's budget increased by 17.4 % to a soaring 79.4 billion with
5.6 billion being allocated to the Free Primary (FPE). Despite this budgetary allocation to FPE programme, there
still exists financial loophole, which the parents of the primary school going children have to seal for efficient and
effective educational system. The objectives of the study were to:1. To establish the indirect costs embedded in t
he FPE programme to parents. 2. To investigate the availability and adequacy of physical facilities in the face of
increased enrolment. 3. To find out the hidden costs parents incurred in the FPE Programme. 4. Examine the effect
of the hidden costs on pupils' performance. 5. Investigate whether the rate of pupil attendance to school can be
attributed to the effect of the hidden costs of FPE. The study used the descriptive survey research design. To find out the hidden costs of FPE and their implication in the implementation of the FPE, a guided
questionnaire for head teachers was used. An interview schedule for the parents was used to complement and
compare data solicited through the questionnaire and to probe for in-depth information from those directly affected
by the hidden costs of Free Primary Education_ the parents. The observation schedule was used to check the
physical infrastructure and the amenities in the school. Out of the seventy five public primary schools in
Matungulu Division, fifteen of them were sampled out using the simple random sampling technique. This is well
above the ten percent minimum that constitutes a sample in a descriptive study (Gay, 1987). The same technique
was used to select sixty parents from the fifteen school, two parents of standard eight and two parents of standard
one of every school who are members of P.T.A in each of the selected schools. All these sixty parents of the
fifteen schools sampled out were interviewed. The descriptive statistics involving frequencies, percentages pie c
harts and histograms were used to analyze the data. The result helped the researcher to come up with conclusions
and percentages. The study established that the FPE programme has not catered for educational essentials such as
school uniform, desks and school furniture, construction of additional classrooms, transport fees for the
commuting pupils and has not catered fully for the feeding programme- the lunch programme. These were some of
the hidden costs of FPE, which the parents had to cater for financially. The study established that there was
inadequate teaching and learning facilities such as exercise books, textbooks, stationery(writing rnaterials and
thus there is an overwhelming need for physical facilities, learning resources and land for extension of additional
classrooms since enrolment is a continuous phenomena. The study concluded and recommended that: i) More money should be disbursed by the government to enhance free primary education ii) The government should ensure
that the funds are disbursed to cater for all pupils' educational needs. iii) The spirit of Harambee should be revived
with the politicians being in the steering committee in mobilizing the school community in raising funds to
supplement the already inadequate FPE funds. The study also identified the following areas for further research: i) A similar study could be replicated to a large sample to establish if similar results could be attained. ii)
Investigate the future of FPE in Kenya. iii) Investigate the gap in quality of education in private and public schools
in the endevour to joining higher institutions of learning. | en |
