Abstract:
This paper scrutinises the challenges facing the implementation of Early Childhood Development and Education policy in Bungoma County, Kenya. The study used a mixed research design and study population comprised of the QASOs, the Head teachers, ECDE teachers and the non-teaching staff in respective ECDCs. The sample size of the study comprised of 9 QUASOs, 27 head teachers, 81 teachers of ECDE and 27 non-teaching staff from selected public primary schools in the study region. The study utilised simple random sampling, stratified and purposive sampling. The tools for data collection comprised of the questionnaire, focussed group, interview schedule, observation and document analysis schedules. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data used content analysis procedures. The study identified a number of challenges including: inadequacy of teaching and learning resources, financial constraints, and lack of government good will, poor training of ECDE teachers, insecurity, high pupil-teacher ratio, poor teacher remunerations and the introduction of FPE. The study recommends that: the Counties and Central government should fund the ECDE, the central government should hire ECDE teachers on permanent and pensionable terms; QASOs should be facilitated to cover vast areas with ease and increase the number of visits to the ECDCs; the Education and lastly, the government should train non-teaching staff on safety operations and above all hire a qualified nurse for every ECDE centre
