Project ion of staffing demand if public primary schools based on pupil’s environment trends in Kenya: a case of Konoin district

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to project primary school enrolment in the year 2015 and the number of teachers who would be required to teach the forecasted pupils base year being 2010. The study was based in Konoin district, Bomet County. The study was based on the manpower requirement approach by Thompson [1981] which is an attempt by policy makers and economists to ensure that labour of right volume, quality and type meets social and economic objectives of education. The study utilized descriptive case study design and the advantages was that data collected showed the then the status of population with respect to one or more variables at a given time and sought information that is quantifiable and report the way things are. Purposive sampling techniques was employed in choosing the sample size for the study. The sample for the study was the education officers in charge of statistics and the Teachers Service Commission unit representatives at the District Educational Offices. Staff in the record section at the Central Bureau of statistics also participate in the study as they maintained relevant data. Data for the study was collected by use of questionnaires, interviews scheduled and document analysis. Questionnaires were designed to address specific objectives, uphold confidentiality and was easy to analyse. Each was given to officer in charge of statistics and the Teachers Services Commission unit in the Districts. Document analysis guide was given to officers in charge of population statistics in District Central Bureau of statistics so as to obtain data on children population born in the year 2002-2009. Interview was used to obtain information on teacher and pupils from District Educational Offices. The study analyzed collected data both qualitatively and quantitatively. The descriptive statistics used were frequency distribution table and percentage where as inferential statistics used simple regression technique in which only two variable i.e independent variable [enrolment] and one dependent variable [staffing]. The finding indicated that the projected number of pupils in primary schools in the year 2015 in Konoin District would 35,585 and required staff would be 1424.This was calculated using international pupil-teacher ratio of 25:1. The District would run short of 517 teaching staff and it was recommended that Teachers Service Commission should provide a solution to meet teachers demand in the District to anticipate the high enrolment of pupils as results of Free Primary Education to all school aged children and should enact laws that guarantee all citizen right to quality education so as to meet EFA, UPE, MDG goals and Kenya Vision 2030 as FPE programmes is greatly dependent on effective teachers management