Implementation Of Child-Friendly Schools Initiative And Its Influence On Quality Education In Primary Schools In Nairobi And Kajiado Counties, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The quality of education provided in Kenyan public primary schools is

reportedly on a downwards trend. It is out of this concern that the Ministry of

Education, in partnership with United Nations Children’s Education Fund

(UNICEF) introduced the Child-Friendly schools initiative as an intervention

aimed at improving the quality of education provided in terms of the

environment, processes, content and learners. The purpose of this study was to

establish the implementation of child friendly schools initiative (CFSI) and its

influence on the quality of education. Further, the study sought to examine the

following objectives: To establish the implementation of inclusion of learners

with special needs in regular schools and its influence on the quality of

education; to find out the quality of education in public primary schools; to

determine the implementation of active participation of parents, pupils and the

community in school governance and how it had influenced the quality of

education, to establish the implementation of effectiveness in teaching and

learning and its influence on the quality of education; to determine the

implementation of gender sensitivity and its influence in the quality of

education and to find out the implementation of creating hygienic, safe and

protective school environments and its influence on the quality of education

in public primary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. The study was

informed by the Social Systems theory and the rights-based approach to

education. This study is significant in that it may inform the Ministry of

Education on the influence of CFSI on the quality of education. This research

adopted mixed methods design specifically the explanatory sequential design.

The study was carried out in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The sample size

comprised of 25 headteachers, 150 teachers, 300 pupils and 4 QASO’s.

Purposive sampling was used to select pupils and QASO’s while stratified

random sampling was used to select teachers. Data was collected by use of

questionnaires, an interview guide and an observation checklist. Content

validity was determined through expert judgement and Cronbach’s Coefficient

Alpha was used to establish the reliability of instruments. Qualitative data

was analysed thematically while Quantitative data was analysed using

descriptive statistics namely, means and percentages. For inferential statistics,

simple linear regression was used. The major finding of this study is that all

the five CFSI dimensions positively influenced the quality of education. The

study recommends that schools should have committees in place to oversee

the implementation of the CFSI dimensions.