Projecting Number of Pupils and Teacher demand in Primary Schools in 2015: A Case of Nandi Central District, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to project the number of primary school pupils enrolled in the year 2015 and the number of teachers that would be required to teach the projected number of pupils. The study was based in Nandi Central District in Rift Valley Province, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive research design. Non-probabilistic in particular purposive sampling technique was employed in choosing of the sample size for the study. The sample for the study comprised one (1) Education Officer in-charge of District statistics and one (1) Teachers Service Commission Unit representative at the District Education Office. One (1) staff in the records section at the Central Bureau of Statistics office in the district also participated in the study. The study was underpinned by the Manpower Requirement Approach theory based on an assessment of manpower needs both quantitative and qualitative, to meet economic, social and political goals. It was the first of the manpower models to be developed and is still the one most frequently used. Data for the study was collected by use of; interview schedule were used to obtain information on teachers, between 1 to 4 years on 2002 was obtained from District Central Bureau of Statistics through document analysis. The findings indicated that the number of pupils expected to be in primary schools in the year 2015 in Nandi Central District would be 68,397 and the number of teachers who would be required to teach them, based on the ideal pupils teacher ratio of 25: I would be 1762. From the findings of this study it was recommended that the Teachers Service Commission should provide a solution to the anticipated that the Teachers Service Commission shortage of 973 teachers by employing more teachers and distributing them to primary schools. Also the findings contribute to knowledge that will help educational planners and policy makers formulate formulate strategies that will enable teachertraining institution train teachers according to the anticipated demand by 2015.