Abstract
Pre-primary teachers need support from the government to ensure that they perform their instructional duties in the classroom effectively. With the devolving of Early Childhood Development Education from the national government to the county level, it was expected that this action would improve the standard and status of learning in these institutions. However, studies have shown that the expected reforms have been done at a slow pace affecting the achievement of ECDE objectives. This paper looks at the kind of support that teachers are provided with by the county government and its impact on the retention of pupils in public pre-primary schools in Wareng Sub County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. This study was conducted in 83 public pre-primary schools in Wareng Sub County, Uasin Gishu County. The study applied a descriptive survey research design with the target population involving 166 pre-school teachers and five county government ECDE field officers. The research instruments involved the use of questionnaires and interview schedules. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in data analysis. Research results showed that all respondents agreed that there has been a significant change in public pre-primary centres because of the devolution support. Correlation statistics showed that there existed a significant positive relationship between pre-primary teachers’ support and retention of pupils in public ECDE centres in Wareng Sub County, Kenya. The study recommends that additional pre-primary teachers should be employed in schools with a higher learner population and terms of employment should be permanent and pensionable.
Highlights
Pre-primary education commonly known as early childhood development education (ECDE) is the lowest basic education structure catering for children who are aged 4 – 8 years (Oyamo, 2013)
This paper looks at the kind of support that teachers are provided with by the county government and its impact on the retention of pupils in public preprimary schools in Wareng Sub County, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya
The objective of the study sought education officers’ and pre-primary teachers’ views with regard to the kind of support that teachers are provided to ensure learners are retained in schools through the input of the county government of Uasin Gishu in Wareng Sub County public pre-primary centres
Summary
Pre-primary education commonly known as early childhood development education (ECDE) is the lowest basic education structure catering for children who are aged 4 – 8 years (Oyamo, 2013). The desire for early childhood education was promoted by great philosophers Quintillion, Aristotle, Plato, among others as important to children’s development in the early stages of their life (Bukaliya & Kudakwashe, 2012). Years (4 – 8) are critical in laying the foundation for children learning since it is of great importance to all learners and needs to be accessible to all (Hirst, Jewis, Sojo & Cavanagh, 2011). Pre-primary education gives a good foundation for children learning as it aids in skills and knowledge development in addition to confidence, a sense of social responsibility and personal competence (Murunga, 2015). For pupils to be retained in schools, teachers have to be properly supported by their employers
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