Abstract:
Free Tuition Programme (FTP) for secondary schools and the high number of students
who seem not to be reaping its benefits is one of the emerging issues facing the
education sector. This study investigated selected factors (socio-economic and
political) influencing the provision of FTP in Secondary schools. The main research
question was, ‘how do the socio-economic and political factors influence the
provision of the FTP?’ Many studies do not feature students schooling in the context
of the aforementioned in the light of FTP. The study was conducted in Machakos
County where student participation in secondary schooling has persistently remained
low despite the government tuition efforts. The study was guided by the Human
Capital Theory which considers education as critical for the facilitation of skills that
lead to the growth of the individual and the society. It was a survey grounded within
the constructivist paradigm based on the qualitative approach. The sample for the
study was chosen using stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques.
Stratified sampling was used to strata the schools into Day and Boarding which
formed 30% of the population. Purposive sampling was utilised to select 32
principals, 128 class teachers and 8 District Education Officers. Simple random
sampling was used to identify 128 students. Data was generated using questionnaires,
interviews and document analysis. Instruments were tested for reliability through test-
retest method. Content validity was determined through critical review considering
the objectives of the study. The data was coded, fed into the Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS) software programme and analysed using simple descriptive
statistics. Themes were derived from narrative data. The findings and suggestions
provide useful information to the education planners and policy makers on improving
provision of FTP for secondary schools towards benefiting all students equally. The
study recommends the need to develop an action plan towards strengthening adult
education programmes so as to improve the education level of the parents, sensitise
and empower the community so as to minimise retrogressive practices, and reduce
wastage of tuition funds; develop sustainable poverty reduction mechanism inorder to
address the economic constrains that are influencing students’ participation in
schooling and review of the existing structures, rules and policies as far as political
involvement in management of education and school administration is concerned so
as to end politicians interferences and retrogressive politics in schools, all geared
towards improving student participation in schooling for successful provision of the
FTP.