Camp based factors influencing teacher recruitment in secondary schools in Dadaab refugee camp, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate camp based factors influencing teacher recruitment in Dadaab Refugee camp secondary schools in North Eastern Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to determine the influence of the UNHCR teacher recruitment policy requiring 80 percent of refugee teachers and 20 percent of local teachers on teacher recruitment; establish teacher qualifications influence on teacher recruitment; individual factors namely gender, age and marital status and their influence on teacher recruitment and establish security factor’s influence on teacher recruitment. The literature review comprised of information under the following subtitles: UNHCR teacher recruitment policy in refugee camps in relation to teacher recruitment, teacher qualifications in relation to teacher recruitment, individual factors viz teacher’s gender, age and marital status in relation to teacher recruitment and security in relation to teacher recruitment. Case study method using descriptive design was used to determine camp based factors influencing teacher recruitment in Dadaab secondary schools in Northern Kenya. The study respondents were secondary school head teachers, teachers and key informants. Head teachers and key informants were purposively selected. Six of the seven head teachers in the 7 secondary schools in Dadaab were sampled. Out of the 203 teachers within the schools 87 were sampled and three key informants. Questionnaires were used to gather data from head teachers and teachers while the key informants were interviewed. The instruments were piloted and tested for validity and reliability. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used in analysing quantitative data and presented using frequency tables. The qualitative data was presented in narrative form. The study established that the UNHCR recruitment policy requiring that 80 percent of teachers originate from the refugees and 20 percent from the local population had not been realised. However, the refugee teachers outnumber the local teachers by a 10 percent margin. The UNHCR did apply the recommendation that teachers and other education personnel should be primarily selected from among the affected population i.e. the refugees. The study established that most of the secondary school teachers are trained hence qualified to teach in Dadaab Refugee camp secondary schools. The study established that majority of teachers in Dadaab refugee camp secondary schools were male. The study established that the teachers age had no bearing on teaching performance even though the study found overall percentage of teachers recruited are between ages 21 and 30. The study found that marital status had no bearing on teacher recruitment in secondary schools in Dadaab refugee camp. The study established that security was a major concern for teachers in the schools as both local and refugee teachers expressed fears regarding their personal safety regardless of safety precautions which had been taken. The study concluded that security was a major concern for both local and refugee teachers in Dadaab refugee camp secondary Schools. It recommended that the education stakeholders, UNHCR and government partner to address the security concern in order to maintain teacher retention hence sustainable secondary education for refugee students in the Dadaab refugee camp secondary schools. As a subject for further research the researcher suggested that since the study was centred on Dadaab refugee camps secondary schools teacher recruitment there was need to replicate the study in schools within the Northern region in view of the current security situation.