Access to secondary school education through the constituency bursary fund in kanduyi constituency, Kenya

Abstract

Secondary school education is very critical in any education system because of the crucial role, it plays in catalyzing national development. Consequently, maintaining a high student enrolment at this level should be a priority for all countries. The Constituency Bursary Fund (CBF) was established by the government of Kenya through an act of parliament in 2003 to ensure that the needy students have access to secondary education. This fund provides for the involvement of community members in identifying the bursary recipients. With the communal involvement in decision-making, it was anticipated that there would be fairness and efficiency in the bursary allocation process. However, contrary to the high expectations; cases of complaints about the implementation of the constituency bursary fund are many. It is on the basis of these complaints that the study was conducted. This study was guided by the theory of socialist economics of education. A theory that emphasizes the need to create an economy that redistributes income from the rich to the poor, so as to create equality of well being. The study population constituted of; high school bursary recipients in the 2007 fourth form cohort in Kanduyi constituency, their class teachers and committee members of the Kanduyi Constituency Bursary Fund (KCBF). The purposive sampling technique was used to select the population sample. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data, which was then coded and analyzed both descriptively and statistically. From the findings, it was established that; the applicant’s parentage and academic performance were great determinants of eligibility for bursary allocation. And that the fund is equitably awarded to the recipients. The fund was found to experience the following set-backs namely; the amount of bursary disbursed to the constituency was insufficient and could not meet the demands of the high number of the needy applicants. There was political interference by the local Parliamentarian. The government delays to disburse these funds, a condition that inconveniences many needy students. Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made; the Government Of Kenya (GOK) treasury should allocate more money to the CBF if the applicants are to be served effectively. The government should also establish a management framework devoid of political manipulation to run the constituency bursary fund. Key terms: Access, bursary, bursary recipient, constituency, efficiency, needy, parentage, socio economic status.