FINANCING SECONDARY EDUCATION IN KENYA THROUGH THE BURSARY SCHEME: ACCESSIBILITY AND IMPACT ON COMPLETION RATES IN NAIROBI PROVINCE

Abstract: The need for secondary education financing has been growing steadily, particularly as a result of escalating poverty levels, a scenario that is worsened by devastating effects of HIV/AIDS at the household level. To mitigate the situation, the government initiated a bursary scheme to assist poor students acquire education. However, in efforts to improve quality of social services within the framework of decentralization, the government rolled out management of the bursary scheme to the 210 constituencies under the patronage of Members of Parliament in 2003. Although little has been documented about impact of the scheme under the new administrative arrangement, sentiments are rife that many students are unlikely to complete secondary education as the issue of fee shortage continues to intensify. This necessitates a comprehensive investigation to provide information that would stimulate policy action to strengthen the Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF) and make it more effective in meeting financial needs of learners. Based on this, the study sought to: -

1. Assess the attributes of needy students and how it affects completion of secondary education.
2. Determine the contribution of CBF on completion of secondary education.
3. Assess secondary education financing practices in Nairobi County.
4. Evaluate the management, effectiveness and accessibility of the CBF.

The study sourced requisite data from 308 students, 243 parents/guardians, 52 headteachers and deputy heads as well as 3 Quality Assurance and Standards Officers. The respondents were drawn using a combination of multi-stage, random and purposive sampling procedures. Parents/guardians were reached through the sampled students.  Quantitative data was analyzed using frequency distributions, cross tabulations with Chi square and binary logistic regression using SPSS and MS-Excel software packages. Qualitative data in form of experiences, opinions and suggestions, were analyzed using qualitative procedures and were used to strengthen quantitative findings. 

It was noted that completion of secondary education was associated with status of orphan hood, parent’s marital status, number of siblings, place of residence within Nairobi, parents’/guardians level of education and parents’/guardians’ occupation. Besides, the CBF only enhanced the likelihood of secondary education completion by marginal 5.4%. Although the family unit is the major financier of secondary education, the CBF played an important supplementary role. However, the potential of the CBF was undermined by various issues arising from inadequacy of funds, faulty selection of committee members, lack of important institutional linkages, delay of funds, corruption and high-handedness among others.

It is recommended that the bursary kitty and award guidelines be revised to reflect actual fee structures; that Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoES&T) to take up its leadership role; Monitoring and Evaluation institutional frameworks be strengthened or established where they don’t exist; the CBF should open doors for stakeholders to get in; the CBF to spearhead resource mobilization to revamp the bursary kitty; need for professionals only to be admitted to the Constituency Bursary Committee (CBC); other members should be trained in essential skill areas; the CBCs to develop strategic plans with programme-specific visions, missions, strategic objectives and core values; need for comprehensive data base of needy students at the national and constituency levels; CBF should create interactive communication channels with the community;  need for effective record keeping at national and grass-root levels; economic empowerment for households, especially women; schools to initiate Income Generating Activities (IGAs) to supplement secondary education financing and that CBF should venture into post-secondary education financing.

Definition of Keywords:

• Access: Addresses the open-ended nature of education, which in this context is recognized as a basic right of every child, youth and adult, irrespective of gender and socio-economic status.
• Bursary scheme: Money provided by the MoES&T to assist needy and bright students attain secondary school education.
• Capital expenditure: The money spent to provide and improve physical and institutional facilities.
• Completion rates: The proportion of students who complete secondary school education.
• Cost-sharing: A policy of Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) that was introduced in 1988 and emphasizes sharing of educational costs between the government, communities, parents, sponsors and the beneficiaries.
• Financing of education: The process of budgetary allocation, both public and private, on a rationalized basis to ensure equitable distribution.
• Needy student: Any student who is genuinely unable to pay school fees because of economic hardships.
• Poverty line: An abstract socio-economic divide between households that live on 1 US $ or less a day and the rest of the society.
• Public schools: Schools maintained or supported out of public financial resources.
• Recurrent expenditure: This is money spent on the daily running of schools, including expenditure on textbooks, stationery, examination fees, transport, salaries etc.
• Secondary education: Education offered to all those who graduate from the first tier in the education system.

Title: FINANCING SECONDARY EDUCATION IN KENYA THROUGH THE BURSARY SCHEME: ACCESSIBILITY AND IMPACT ON COMPLETION RATES IN NAIROBI PROVINCE

Author: SR.  SOPHIE BARAT, DR. PAUL A. ODUNDO

International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations 

ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)

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