ECD Policy Framework and Pre-Primary School Teachers’ Capacity in Quality Service Delivery in Muranga County Kenya

Abstract

The National Early Childhood Development Policy Framework in Kenya has been in place since the year 2006 accompanied by a service guideline to promote its implementation. The goal of the policy framework was to enhance access, equity and quality service delivery for all children from conception through 8 years. However, even with the policy in place there are quality issues in pre-primary schools in Kenya. Implementation of the framework has been slow hence affecting quality of services. This is even so with the Muranga County whose education achievement in early grades is still below the national standards. It is documented that Pre-primary schools in the County have poor infrastructure coupled with poor delivery of content at this level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess pre-primary teachers’ capacity and the Quality of Service Delivery. The purpose of the study was to determine pre-primary teachers’ capacity in promoting quality service. Lilian Katz’s theory on perspective of quality was used. The study applied mixed methodology research approach in which stratified random sampling, proportionate simple random and purposive sampling were employed to select the sample. Data from; teachers, head teachers and parents was collected using questionnaire, observation schedule and interviews respectively. The study used thematic analysis for qualitative data while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and presented using tables and figures. The study established that Pre-primary teachers’ capacity at p = 0.023 influences quality service delivery. Subsequently, the study recommended that the government should empower/retool pre-primary teachers in order to achieve quality services.