Alternative Systems Of Financing Secondary School Education In Baringo District

This study was an investigation into alternative systems of financing secondary education. It sought to establish the current system of financing secondary education and its limitations in Baringo District; it also sought to establish the alternative systems of financing secondary education, their limitations and strategies for their successful implementation. Eight secondary schools constituting 40% were selected to participate in the study. Simple balloting was used to select the sample. The target respondents were Principals, PTA chairpersons and form 3 students of the sampled schools in Baringo District together with the District Education Officer. A total of 320 students participated in the study. The school Principals, the PTA chairpersons and the District Education Officer were each given a questionnaire to complete, while the students were interviewed using the students interview schedules to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. The study was guided by the social systems theory. The social systems theory takes care of a school as a composite of complex networks contributing towards the whole. It examines the various key stakeholders in school financing.  The study established that the current system of financing secondary education was cost sharing between the parents and the government. The data collected revealed that the current financing system could not adequately provide the required facilities and finances to run the schools smoothly and that it put a heavier burden on the parent who already was faced with poverty, food insecurity and disease. The study further established that there existed alternative sources of financing education which included NGOs, Commercial entities, cooperative societies, old students associations, religious organizations, prominent personalities, and income generating activities. However, these alternatives were not well developed due to lack of sensitization of the community on the need to fund education, lack of good will from the leaders, corruption and lack of time to venture in income generating activities as revealed from the analysed data. In the light of these findings, suggestions and recommendations towards strengthening the current system and implementing the alternative system have been made.