Government Education Policies and Socio-Economic Development in Mandera District, Kenya

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to establish why there is a poor standard of living in Mandera district Kenya. The objectives of the study were; to investigate the relationship between Government education policy on universal education and standards of living in Mandera district Kenya. To establish the relationship between Government education policy on gender equity and standards of living in Mandera district Kenya. To establish the relationship between Government education policy on vulnerable groups and standards of living in Mandera district Kenya. This study adopted cross sectional survey design to analysis a large sample. The researcher used convenient sampling technique to select sample of 150 respondents out of 720 population including chiefs, counselors and local people. The researcher used a questionnaire as instrument in gathering data. SPSS was used to analyze data by computing frequency tables, means and standard deviation. The Pearson Linear co-relation co-efficient was used to test relationship between government education policy and the socio-economic development. The findings revealed a positive relationship between government policy and universal education. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents strongly agreed that government policy of compulsory education in primary and secondary has enabled all children access free education in all regions; a positive relationship between government educational policy and vulnerable groups; that government has to come up with a policy of promoting women through provision of capital to enhance their social economic development. The study recommended that the government should initiate development programmes to help the women and their children, the government should put strict laws on free primary and secondary education to enable all children access education in Mandera district, Parents of street children and Potential Street children should also be economically empowered with a view to make them self reliant and more effective parents, the government should also adopt gender equity in resource distribution and school construction.