Impact of Free Secondary Education On Internal Efficiency of Public Secondary Schools in Kisumu East Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

ABSTRACT -" Low enrolment and wastage in secondary schools are areas of great concern to educational administrators in Kisumu East Sub-county. The Sub-county recorded secondary Net Enrolment Rate (NER) of 22.2% and drop-out rate of 10.3%, in 2007, lower than the neighbouring Nyando and Kisumu West sub-counties with NERs of 30% and 30.5% respectively and drop-out rates of 8.4% and 6.7% respectively. Free Secondary Education (FSE) policy introduced in Kenya in the year 2008 was intended to mitigate a wide scope of these problems. Its impact after the implementation needs investigation. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of FSE on internal efficiency of secondary education in Kisumu East Sub-county. The objectives of the study were to; establish the impact of FSE on enrolment; examine the impact of FSE on completion; determine the impact of FSE on repetition and drop-out rates and establish the impact of FSE on the number of years spent per graduate in public secondary schools in Kisumu East sub-county for four cohorts between the years 2003-2012. A conceptual framework showing the influence of FSE on internal efficiency of education was used. The study adopted ex-post facto and descriptive survey designs. The study population consisted of 37 head teachers, 3 ZQASOs and 1 SQASO. Stratified random sampling was used to select 18 public secondary schools and 18 head teachers. Saturated sampling was used to select 3 ZQASOs and 1 SQASO. Questionnaires, interview schedules and document analysis were employed to collect data. Face validity was determined by presenting the research instruments to lecturers in the Educational Management and Foundations department for expert advice. Reliability of the instruments was determined through a pilot study using test-retest method. A correlation coefficient of 0.85 was obtained. Data collected was analysed using Quantitative Cohort statistical analysis and descriptive statistics. Qualitative "data were transcribed, coded and presented according to themes. The study found out that after the introduction of FSE policy, enrollment increased by 16.3%, completion rate increased by 12.3%, drop-out rate reduced by 3.4%, repetition rate reduced by 0.5% and average years spent per graduate reduced by 0.71 years. The study concluded that FSE had positive impact on internal efficiency of education and recommended that FSE capitation should be increased to allow for expansion of public secondary schools so as to create room for increased enrolment. This study suggested further research on; Challenges in the implementation of FSE policy and impact of FSE on transition rate to higher education. The findings are significant to educational policy formulators in developing other strategies or new policies meant to improve the quality of education and mitigate educational wastage.