Subsidized secondary education policy on pass rates in Kenya certificate of secondary education in public secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya

Abstract

Subsidization of the public secondary school education by the government of Kenya in 2008 witnessed a tremendous growth in the student population at this level of education. This scenario led to an over enrollment and a strain on the existing learning facilities and infrastructure in most public secondary schools in Kenya, including those in Bungoma County . Under these circumstances, the question that remained unanswered was ; what was the effect of the subsidized secondary education policy (SSEP) on the student pass rates in the Kenya certificate of secondary education (KCSE) in the public secondary schools in Bungoma County ? The purpose of this study was to analyze the change brought about by the SSEP on the student pass rates in the KCSE in public secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. The findings of this study revealed that, the subsidized secondary education policy significantly improved the student pass rates in KCSE in the public secondary schools in the County, from a mean of 70.53% before the introduction of the subsidy, to a mean of 75.82% after introduction of the subsidy, with a p-value of less than 0.05( p<0.05). In conclusion, the SSEP improved the student pass rates in the KCSE. On the basis of the conclusion, it was recommended that the government should uphold the subsidized secondary education policy in public secondary schools, because it has the potential to sustain improved student pass rates in KCSE in public secondary schools in Bungoma County and Kenya at large.