| dc.description.abstract | The study sought to determine the Non-Formal Education (NFE) Centers'
administrators' perceptions of the causes of out-of-school phenomenon and
alternative approaches to curb the phenomenon in Nairobi Province. In
addition, the study sought to explore the extent to which effective approaches
can be emulated by newly established centers.
From the literature review, a conceptual frame work was drawn based on two
sets of factors; institutional structures and administrators' personal attributes
that may have had an influence on their perceptions of alternative approaches
to basic education.
Thirty six (36) non-formal centers were used for the study, from which 72
administrators of NFE centers were selected. A questionnaire was the sole
research instrument. Its validity and reliability were enhanced through a pilot
study in which the reliability co-efficient was found to be 0.9. Seventy (70)
administrators returned useful questionnaires. This was 97% return rate.
The study found that most of the NFE centers administrators (65.7%) were
male while the rest (34.3%) were female. In addition, forty-two of the
administrators (60.0%) were thirty (30) years and below, while only 2
administrators were over 40 years of age. This suggests a rather youthful
administrative force.
Educationally, majority of the administrators (43 out of 70), that is, 61.4%
were degree holders with 18 of them possessing a masters degree. However,
the existence of 26 administrators (37.2%) without University education may
reflect the simplicity that characterized some of these centers. Regarding the size ofNFE centres, most of them were found to be small and of
simple structures with 52.9% of them having student populations of less than
one hundred (100) students. Only 14 centres (20%) had over three hundred
(300) students. Majority of the centres, (41 out of70), were located in the slum
areas such as Kibera and Mukuru, while only three (3) were in "high class"
residential areas such as Karen.
The most highlighted causes of school dropout and non-enrolment
phenomenon are; poverty in the household (84.0%), high cost of education
(74.0%), long distances that students have to walk from home to school
(72.9%) sexual harassment of children (72.8%), Female Genital Mutilation
(70.0%) and societal attitudes (70.0%).
Administrators' perception on approaches to control non-enrolment and
dropout emphasized; punishing those who harass pupils sexually (90.0%),
lowering the cost of basic education (87.0%), empowering household
economically and socially (84.3%) and provision of flexible school
programmes (78.6%), revise awareness of education benefits (75.7%),
FGM abolishment (72.9%), abolishing grade repetition (70.0%) and
formulation of affirmative policies (70.0%). Administrators' perceptions of
alternative approaches to provision of basic education emphasized, utilization
of local resources (74.3%), abolishing uniforms (72.9%), flexible schooling
(67.1%), grouping pupils according to learning abilities (67.1 %) and special
programmes (62.9%).
To control the out-of-school phenomena, over 90% of the administrators
indicated that feeding programes, abolition of uniforms, fees and other kinds of
levies and flexible classes, were their most successful alternative approaches to
basic education. Regarding the problems faced by the administrators in their NFE centers,
improving pupils-teacher ratio remained their biggest problem. Eighty nine
percent (89.0%), agreed that due to shortage of teaching / training staff,
grouping students and according to levels of ability were difficult. They also
indicated that the problems they faced in order of magnitude included in
adequate finances, lack of qualified staff, unstable students and unfair criticism
by the public.
The study also revealed that there was no significant difference between NFE
centers' administrators' perception of alternative approaches to basic education
and their age, sex, administrative experience and academic qualifications.
The study concluded that the NFE centers are necessary institutions, which
should supplement what is offered in formal schooling rather than compete
with the latter. The study also recommended consultations and additional
support from communities, government, donors and empower households
economically and socially. It further recommends that the law has to punish
those who sexually harass pupils, public sensitization to be through seminars
and meeting on the economic value of education. Affirmative policy
formulation should be done to abolish primitive practices such as; Female
Genital Mutilation and forced marriages. Finally, administrators of newly
created centers need to visit the already successful centers; teachers' training
curriculum to incorporate gender studies and NFE units, the ministry of
education inspection unit to expend its spheres of coverage to inspect the
quality of education offered in NFE centers and ensure that such entries are not
used as business enterprises to solicit money from donors for personal gain. | en |
