The Impact of Free Primary Education On Performance of Learners; A case Study of Mlolongo Primary School Athiriver zone Machakos District Kenya

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ................................................................................................... ii

APPROVAL ........................................................................................................ iii

DEDICATION ..................................................................................................... iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................... v

ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... vi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 1

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................. 2

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................ 3

1.31 This study was guided by the following research questions: ........................ 4

1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ............................................................................ 4

1.4.1 General objectives ..................................................................................... 4

1.4.2 Specific objectives ...................................................................................... 4

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY .................................................... 5

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY .................................................................... 5

1.7 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................ 7

Figure 1.1: Conceptual framework ...................................................................... 7

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS ....................................................... 7

1.9 LIST OF ACCRONYMS .................................................................................. 8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................... 9

2.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 9

2.2 CHALLENGES FACING FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION ................................. 12

2.3 KEY PLAYERS IN IMPLEMENTING FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION ................ 20

2.3.1 Government contribution ......................................................................... 20

2.3.2 Parents .................................................................................................... 20

vii

2.3.3 Head teachers and management committees ........................................... 21

2.4 CHALLENGES ............................................................................................ 21

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................... 23

3.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 23

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN .................................................................................. 23

3.2 LOCALE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................ 23

3.3 TARGET POPULATION ................................................................................ 23

3.4 SAMPLE AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE ...................................................... 24

3.5 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS ........................................................... 24

3.5.1 QUESTIONAIRES .................................................................................... 24

3.6 DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES ............................................................ 24

3.7 DATA ANALYSIS ......................................................................................... 25

CHAPTER FOUR .............................................................................................. 26

DISCUSSIONS .................................................................................................. 26

CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................... 29

5.1 FINDINGS .................................................................................................. 29

5.2 RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................... 31

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................ 34

REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 35

APPENDICES ................................................................................................... 37

APPENDIX A ................................................................................................... 37

QUESTIONNAIRE ............................................................................................. 37

APPENDIX B .................................................................................................... 40

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 40