| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing the implementation of safety standards in public secondary schools in Limuru district, Kiambu county Kenya. The objectives that guided the study were:- management, training, financial resources and inspection. The research design employed for this research is descriptive survey. This is found appropriate in exploring deeply how some factors influence the implementation of safety standards. The stratified sampling method was used for sampling purpose.
The target population in this study consisted all nineteen principals 342 teachers and 8,238 students. The instruments used in the study were questionnaires, checklist and an interview schedule formulated by the researcher. The researcher administered the instruments to the respondents personally. The instruments validity and reliability were established for the study.
The response shows that all the sampled schools had put in place safety committees and the committees met frequently. Some of the teachers sampled had come across the safety standards manuals in their schools while others had not. The learners confirmed their involvement by the school administration in safety programmes to some extent. The teachers confirmed that they had attended safety training programmes at 63% while 37% of the learners sampled had equally attended safety training programmes.
The teachers confirmed that they had acquired skills in first aid, fire drills, health education, drugs awareness and guidance and counseling at low percentages. The principals confirmed that the funds allocated were not enough to cater for safety. All the principals confirmed that the inspection visits by the quality assurance officer were rare which was the same position held by the teachers who attested to the fact that the officers visits to the school sampled were very rare. The principals futher confirmed that they adhered to the recommendations made for implementation by the quality standards officers.
The study made the following recommendations:- The quality assurance officers should be empowered in terms of capacity and aided to visit all schools in their areas of operations. Staffing shortfalls in the quality assurance department should be checked as a matter of urgency to see to it that the officers fully discharge their obligations. Training and awareness creation on disaster preparedness, management and basic evacuation procedures should be conducted.
This will allow for the members of the institutions to have their skills and always be ready to take charge of all situations which may require urgent response in instances of any eventualities. Inspection activities should always be undertaken in collaboration with all the statutory agencies mandated to carry out the tasks. This will ensure that there is synergy between the departments of public health, the quality assurance and public works work together and having a collective approach in terms of carrying out the inspection activities. | en_US |
