Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of government subsidy on the key
determinants of educational attainment; transition, enrolment, retention and quality.
The specific objectives of the study are; to present statistical outlay of public subsidies
in the education sector in terms of levels and target areas, evaluate educational
attainment indices in relation to public subsidies and lastly, to determine strategies of
enhancing educational attainment in view of public subsidies. The study adopted a
mixed method design. The target population included education officials and
principals of high schools. The study sample was 270 school principals out of a
population of 493.The respondents were selected using purposive, and simple random
sampling technique and the instruments for data collection were questionnaires and
interview schedule. The reliability of the instruments was tested through a pilot study.
in the greater Baringo district of central-rift that is classified as both ASAL and non-
ASAL. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (for measures of central
tendencies and frequencies) and inferential statistics (using t-test and ANOVA models
to establish causation and variable traits). The findings of this study revealed that there
is a statistically significant relationship between the public subsidy and all educational
indices in all the counties except the ASAL Turkana county where the impact was
least felt. It was also found that the subsidy improved school supplies in all the
counties. The study findings revealed that irrespective of the geographical location of
schools, subsidies have a positive and significant effect on the indicators of
educational attainments. The study therefore amplifies the need for the government to
streamline the public subsidization policy in view of expectations of sessional paper
no 1 of2005, vision 2030, and the global imperatives namely MDGs and EFA goals
