| dc.description.abstract | This study examines the role of school management committees in school improvement in primary schools in Busia district, Western Province, Kenya. The study was conducted in 14 primary schools. The design entailed a combination of probability and non-probability sampling. Three divisions were purposely sampled out of the five divisions in the district. Two schools were then sampled from each of the seven zones in the three divisions. Six Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with members of SMC and teachers were held. In terms of theoretical orientation, the study was guided by the structural functionalism theory. The study obtained both quantitative and qualitative data, hence making use of both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Primary data was collected at school level on pupil enrolment, staff establishment, SMC characteristics and school development plans. The study made the following key findings:
o SMCs are dominated by men (67%). About 70% of the committee members are farmers and about 77% of the members held same positions in 2005 and 2006. Only
23% of the members were new in the school committee in 2006. Of the 77% members who had served previously in the school committees, 26.8% of the members had served for two years, 20.8% for one year and 18.5% for three years.
o The role of SMC was mainly planning and procurement, supervision of construction projects in school, mobilization of parents and the community and sourcing for funds. The project donors included parents, NGOs the government through the Ministry of Education and Community Development Funds (CDF).
o The projects undertaken by SMC included classroom construction, latrine construction, classroom renovation, desk provision, hiring of teachers, education tour for pupils, drilling boreholes, feeding programme, tree planting, fencing of school compounds, water tank construction and purchase of instruction materials.
o Due to high enrolment of pupils in schools, the government has not been able to recruit enough teachers to manage the influx of pupils. SMCs have taken it upon themselves to supplement the government efforts by hiring volunteer teachers from the communities to bridge the gap of teacher shortage in schools.
o Coping with discipline issues in schools due to high pupil enrolment remains a challenge to SMCs.
o Despite FPE, children still drop (jut of school. Major reasons for children dropping
out of school include child labor and orphan hood at 18.5% and ignorance and poverty at 14.8%. In some school communities, parents are illiterate and ignorant of the importance of education. Such cases give the SMCs a hard time in sensitizing the parents to understand what role they need to play in schools. Such cases also promote bad relationship between teachers and parents.
o The government should recruit teachers and fund ECD programrnes through FPE to enhance quality in primary education. At the same time the complementary role of non-state actors in education is required since the government cannot be able to provide every need in school. | en |
