Projection of Educational Resource Requirement for Provision of Quality Education In Primary and Secondary Schools In Siaya County, Kenya By 2030

Abstract

Projection of educational resources such as teachers and physical infrastructure is the first step towards effective allocation of the scarce resources that are vital in provision of quality education. Siaya County recorded the third lowest achievement levels in Mathematics nationally with a mean of 431.8. Siaya was also rated the third most dropped county nationally in Kiswahili from 529.6 in 2016 to 429 in the National Assessment System for Monitoring Learner Achievement (NASMLA) at Class 3 level of Primary School Education in Kenya that was done in 2018. The poor performance in numeracy and literacy skills by class three pupils of Siaya County has raised a major concern over the quality of education in the county. A preliminary survey conducted in the county in 2018 established that most primary and secondary schools had overcrowded classrooms, inadequate desks and sanitation facilities. There was therefore need for projection of educational resources in primary and secondary schools in Siaya County that would enhance the provision of quality education envisaged in Kenya Vision 2030. The purpose of this study was to project educational resource requirement for provision of quality education in primary and secondary schools in Siaya County by 2030. The specific objectives of the study were to project: school age population and enrolment, teacher requirement, physical infrastructure requirement and average school size for provision of quality education in primary and secondary schools in Siaya County by 2030. This study was based on system theory and a conceptual framework showing the relationship between the independent variable; educational resources; and the dependent variable quality education. Trend analysis and descriptive survey designs were used in the study. Study population comprised of all school age population (6-17 years) who were 272,226 in 2009 and 339,251 in 2019. Sample for this study was selected through saturated sampling technique. Purposive sampling was used to select one TSC County Human Resource officer and one County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer. Secondary data was collected through Data Analysis Proformas and primary data through Key Informant Interview (KII) Guides. The content, construct and face validity of the research instruments were established through scrutiny by research experts from the Department of Educational Management and Foundations. Reliability of Data Analysis Proformas was established through test retest method where correlation coefficients of 0.99, 0.98 and 0.91 for KNBS, MOE and TSC Data Analysis Proformas were established respectively at α=0.01. Compound Rate of Growth and Enrolment Ratio Methods were used to project school age population and school enrolment respectively. Pupil-Teacher Ratio method and method based on number of pupils per class and hours taught by teacher were used to project teacher requirement in primary and secondary schools respectively. Projections of physical infrastructure and average school size were based on the government recommended ratios. The findings of this study indicated that an increase in primary and secondary school age population consequently lead to an increase in enrolment at primary and secondary levels of education. The study also established that an increase in enrolment leads to an increase of teacher requirement, physical infrastructure and average school size by the same margin. The study concluded that there will be shortage of teachers and physical infrastructure due to the projected increase in enrolment especially at junior and senior secondary levels by 2030 and this would hamper provision of quality education. The study therefore recommended that to enhance provision of quality education in primary and secondary schools in the county, more Constituency Development Funds to be allocated to secondary schools to expand the physical infrastructure, primary school teachers with bachelor‟s degrees in education to be deployed to teach in secondary schools as TSC rolls out a plan to employ more teachers to teach in secondary schools in Siaya County and upgrading of some primary schools to accommodate the anticipated increased enrolment in junior and senior secondary schools by 2030. Findings of this study would inform policy makers including TSC and Ministry of Education to come up with proactive policy reforms that would enhance provision of quality education amidst the on-going education reforms in Kenya.