Parents’ and teachers’ perceptions and expectations of free primary education and their implementation experiences; the case of primary schools in Kambu educational zone, Kibwezi district, Kenya

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions, expectations and experiences of teachers and parents of Kambu Educational Zone as partners in the implementation of the on-going Free Primary Education in Kenya. The main objective of the study was to establish and document the perceptions and expectations of these stakeholders as vital reference material as it relates to funding, physical facilities, staffing and other resources required for use in the day-to-day running of the schools and in their endeavour to address the emerging implementation challenges of Free Primary Education. The study was also expected to establish the programme’s effects on changes in enrolment and on the quality of learning in the schools. The Survey Research Design was used for the study. Questionnaires, interviews, school records and observation were used as instruments for collection of data. A prepared questionnaire for teachers was administered by the researcher with the help of the Deputy Head teachers in the sampled schools while face-to-face conversationlike interviews were conducted by the researcher and recorded for ease of interpretation later. Data was collected from eight randomly sampled public primary schools in Kambu zone. From each selected school, eight teachers were randomly selected while the head-teachers were interviewed purposively. Seven parents were randomly selected from each school while the PTA chairperson of each school was interviewed purposively. The participants were interviewed within their respective schools. The interviews focused on the participant’s individual perceptions and experiences of the programme. The total number of participants was 136. Data was analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative data was presented using narratives from themes that emerged from respondents, the expressions they used and the emotions observed during the interviews. Quantitative data was presented using descriptive statistics by use of tables. Results from the study indicated that although parents had initially expected the government to have taken up 100% responsibility of funding, staffing, building, provision of school uniform and feeding, six years down the line, they had realized that in order to benefit fully from FPE, they had to play some roles. Responses from the teachers indicated that they were unhappy about their classroom performance, poor working conditions and indiscipline among pupils. From the researcher’s discussions with parents, it emerged that Free Primary Education meant different things to different parents and this influenced their expectations from the schools and also from the government. The responses in the teachers’ questionnaires reflected their feelings, challenges expectations, suggestions and opinions on the programme. However, what appeared to emerge from all the teachers participating was the problem of high work load, inadequate time for individual attention to pupils and lack of motivation. The findings of the study indicated that the parents and teachers in Kambu appreciated the government efforts in providing Free Primary Education and acknowledged that provision of learning and teaching materials was the most significant accomplishment of FPE. Their responses further revealed that both groups still expected more from the government than they were already receiving.