Factors affecting the free primary education project implementation: a case of Kikuyu District, Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

The study set out to look at the factors affecting FPE project implementation in Kikuyu District, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to find out the extent to which physical facilities have affected the implementation of FPE; to establish the extent to which teacher motivation has affected the implementation of FPE and to investigate the effect of high enrollment on FPE project implementation .Chapter two comprises of the literature review and the conceptual framework of the study. The literature includes the introduction of the concept of Free Primary Education after which it gives a synopsis of the various country experiences of FPE in the global and regional perspective.

The review of literature then includes a discussion of the various study variables which included physical facilities, teacher motivation and high enrolment and the effect of this on the implementation of Free Primary Education. Chapter Three introduces the research methodology which was applied in the study. The research design chosen was descriptive survey. The target population is also given along with the sample and sampling procedures which were to be used by the researcher. Data collection instrument used was the questionnaires. It provided the researcher with the primary data.

Data collected was analyzed and presented in tables, means and frequencies. Chapter four included the data analysis and presentation which was divided into various sections such as the demographic factors; followed by the study independent variables analysis. Chapter five gives the summary of findings, recommendations and conclusions. The study established that physical facilities in the schools were not adequate to provide an ideal environment for learning whereas there was improvement in the availability of learning materials. Enrolment was also seen to have caused a decline in the performance of the schools in the sample according to the teacher's responses.

The study also found out that there was improvement in teacher training where most of the teachers had acquired an undergraduate degree having had Primary Teacher 1 and 2 Certificates. The study recommended that the continuous improvement approach for the education and training of teachers so as to be able to provide quality and relevant education, in particular examining the primary school curriculum to assess the challenges it presents to a teacher. The study also recommends that there be further research on the relevance of primary curricula and the ability of teachers and learners to effectively participate in this and on the parenti community participation within the Free Primary Education programme.