Free Primary Education Policy Research Articles

AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF EARLY MARRIAGE AMONG PUPILS ON LEARNER RETENTION PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION IN KENYA, A CASE OF TURKANA COUNTY

The Dakar Conference of 2000 evaluated development in attaining Universal Primary Education (UPE) within the continent of African. An EFA target was established that is eradicating gender inequality in primary schools within the year 2005 and by 2015 be able to attain gender impartiality.Despite all efforts by governments, retention of pupils in primary schools is a major challenge to most governments in the world and in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Among other social –cultural factors, early marriage among primary school going learners have had a negative impact on the Free Primary Education policy since its re-introduction in 2003 in Kenya. The country faces 23% early marriage among girls and might be a contributor factor in low learner retention in the country especially in Turkana County which has so far had the lowest retention in the county with 7.8% compared to 79.6% nationally. The purpose of this study was to have an exploratory factor analysis to understand why this situation has been experienced within the FPE policy in Kenya. The findings establishedthat girls are married early by young and old men who can afford paying dowry, payment of dowry has driven many girls to early marriage, and majority of early marriages are done according to the traditions of the community. It concluded that early marriage is predominant among the pastoralist communities in ASAL regions in Kenya and has had tremendous influence on learner retention in primary school education contributing negatively to the implementation and success of FPE policy.

Stakeholders’ perceptions on the nutritional and educational impacts of National Home Grown School Feeding Programme on pupils of rural public primary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT The Nigerian government, in addition to the already existing free and compulsory primary education policy, introduced the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in public primary schools across the country to fight short-term hunger and improve the health and nutritional needs of children by providing daily nutritious meals during school hours. Our study is borne out of scarce literature examining the efficacy of the programme on the pupils. Twenty-four participants were purposively selected for the study. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and analysed thematically. Participants believed that the programme has improved the academic performance of the pupils and saved them from hunger. However, factors such as inadequate funding and lack of involvement of child welfare professionals like social workers affect the operations of the programme. The study recommended the inclusion of social workers in the awareness creation and implementation of the programme for more effective results.

Heterogeneous Effects of Women's Schooling on Fertility, Literacy and Work: Evidence from Burundi's Free Primary Education Policy

Abstract This article investigates the effect of women's schooling on fertility as well as on associated mechanisms by leveraging Burundi's free primary education policy (FPE) of 2005 as a natural experiment. Exogenous variation in schooling is identified through a fuzzy regression discontinuity design. Our results show that educational attainment was positively influenced by Burundi's FPE for women situated at all wealth levels. However, the relevant downstream effects of schooling—measured by fertility, literacy and work outcomes—reveal heterogenous treatment effects which are moderated by women's household wealth. While poor women profit in terms of increases in literacy (6.7 percentage-point increase for each year of policy-induced schooling), remunerated employment opportunities (5.7 percentage-point increase), as well as a reduction in desired and actual fertility outcomes (6.9 percentage-point reduction in teenage childbirth), none of these effects of additional education are observed for women from the wealthier households of our sample. The evidence of such a marked heterogeneity contributes to the growing literature examining the nexus between education and fertility in developing countries and helps to evaluate under which conditions the literature's findings may generalize.

Keeping More Achievers in School: Short-Term Enrollment and Achievement Effects of Free Primary Education in the Benin Republic

ABSTRACT With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), several African governments are making education free as part of their strategies to achieve universal primary education. In 2006, the Benin government adopted a Free Primary Education (FPE) policy, abolishing parent-paid tuition fees and increasing resources towards schools. In this article, the author examines whether or not this policy reduced the wealth and gender gap and prior geographical disparities in educational outcomes. Also evaluated is whether expanded access to education affected student achievement. The methodology used was a difference-in-differences approach that relied on pre-policy differences in dropout rates across municipalities to identify the effects of the policy. Analyzing municipality and household-level data, the author found evidence that the fee elimination policy reduced inequality of access by increasing school completion rates for traditionally disadvantaged groups, which included girls and low-income populations. The increased enrollment also had no significant adverse effect on student achievement as measured by the probability of passing the primary school exit exam. Moreover, the policy potentially helped low-performing municipalities narrow the achievement gap by retaining more high-achieving students, who would otherwise have dropped out of the education system. If strategies such as making schooling more affordable and available are enough to narrow educational disparities and retain more high-achieving students in the education system with potentially positive peer effects, then Benin’s experience may have important policy implications for other African and developing countries that use similar education strategies.

Possible Solutions to Challenges of Including Learners with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Classrooms

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND As a major strategy towards the achievement of basic education for all, Lesotho introduced free and compulsory primary education, whereby many children were sent to school. The mountain kingdom of Lesotho implemented the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Policy in the year 2000 (McConkey&Mariga, 2011:18). The policy‘s main objectives are: [t]o make basic education accessible to all learners; to make education equitable in order to eliminate inequalities; to guarantee that every Mosotho child completes the primary education and ensure that education is affordable to Basotho. (McConkey&Mariga, 2011:18). By implementing compulsory education, even learners with special educational needs were seen in high numbers in schools. This has brought a challenge to learners with special educational needs to learn in the same classrooms with other learners without special educational needs. This paper aims to explore the possible solutions to challenges of including learners with special educational needs in Lesotho mainstream classrooms and The paper is guided by the question: what are the possible solutions to the challenges of including learners with special educational needs in Lesotho mainstream classrooms?

Influence of Implementation of the Government Policies on Transition Rate of ECDE Children from Public Preschools to Public Primary School in Kapseret Sub County; Uasin Gishu County

A child’s transition from public preschool to primary is not a single event of change that has only immediate consequences but has its effects on transition rate. The purpose of this study was to assess influence of implementation of the government policies on transition rate of ECDE children from public preschools to public primary school in Kapseret Sub County; Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by Jean Piaget’s Construvist theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The researcher sampled 171 respondents; including 86 Grade one; two; three teachers; 57 preschool teachers; and 29 headteachers. The research instruments used were questionnaires and interview schedule. The analysis of data was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. Data from questionnaires was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative method involved descriptive and inferential analysis. Descriptive analysis such as frequencies; percentages were used to present quantitative data in form of tables. Qualitative data from interview schedules were analyzed thematically based on the content of qualitative data and then presented in prose form. The findings were presented in frequency distribution tables. The study findings indicated that implementation of government policies has a positive and significant influence on leaners transition. The study concluded that free primary education policy has improved learners’ transition rate to Grade one. Adoption of Early Years Education Policy has influenced transition to Grade one. Finally; free primary education policy has increased the number of learners in public pre-primary school. The study recommends that primary schools should implement all the government policies by preparing Early Child Development (ECD) children in terms of classrooms; toilets; furniture and adequate qualified teachers.

Implementation of the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Policy in Public Schools in Ogun State, Nigeria: Evaluation

The launching of the Universal Basic Education scheme in Nigeria in 1999 was the country’s response to the global call for universalization of access to basic education. The Universal Basic Education Act, enacted in May 2004, serves as the legal framework for the programme and it provided for primary education to be free and compulsory. Much has been done by different tiers of government to ensure the achievement of this objective. This study evaluated the extent to which primary education was free and compulsory in public schools in Ogun State, Nigeria between 2004 and 2012. The findings show that though tuition was free, pupils still paid for Development Levy and Parent Teachers Association Levy. The findings also show that parents purchased textbooks, exercise books, uniforms, sandals, socks and other school materials for their wards. Furthermore, the results show that more than half a million children of school-going age in the state were out of school during the 2012 – 2013 academic session. These show that primary education was neither free nor compulsory in the state during the period under study. The implication is that Nigeria’s objective of achieving national primary education goals within the global EFA context had not been achieved.Keywords: Evaluation, Implementation, Policy, Primary Education, Basic Education

PLANIFICACIÓN FÍSICA Y CRECIMIENTO DE LAS ESCUELAS PRIMARIAS PRIVADAS EN KENIA

In Kenya, the number of private schools has increased more than four times since the introduction of the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003. The number of children attending private primary schools increased from 4.6% in 2004 to 11.5% in 2007. With such increment, there has been challenges on the determinants of growth of education institutions. It is against this background that the study examined the influence of physical planning on the growth of private primary schools in Kenya. the study was anchored in the resource dependency view where the managers of institutions have the ability to acquire, Plan and maintain resources that are important to the growth of an organization. The target population in this study comprised of 7,418 private primary schools in all eight regions of Kenya. Cluster sampling technique was employed of 50% of the target regions were sampled, leading to four out of eight regions being selected. From these regions random sampling was then used to select 320 respondents who were either the principals’/Head teachers or deputy principal of the schools. A questionnaire was used to collect data and Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyse data. The study found a strong and significant correlation between physical planning and growth of primary schools. This study therefore recommended that physical planning was an important factor in determining growth of private schools. The study further recommends that owners of private primary schools should be aware of the facilities that are crucial and most important to students in the teaching and learning. This will intern influence the growth of the private primary schools in Kenya.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE EDUCATION POLICY IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KAFUE DISTRICT: IS IT A COMPROMISE ON QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA?

<p>In this study, researchers investigated the implementation of Free Primary Education Policy in selected primary schools of Kafue district of Zambia. The study’s objective was to determine the possible conflicts that had arose between learners’ access to education and supply of quality education. As a descriptive survey, the study population consisted of one hundred and twenty (120) teachers, twenty-four (24) head teachers one (2) Ministry of General Education (MoGE) officials. The teachers responded to a questionnaire while the head teachers and MoGE officials were interviewed using structured interview schedules. An observation checklist was used to record the schools’ enrolments, equipment and facilities that were available. Data was analyzed thematically as themes and sub themes emerged from the data. Finding showed that there were high enrolments in Kafue primary schools, an indication that many learners had free access to education but this led to a number of challenges such as: inadequate educational supplies, low staffing levels, inadequate classrooms and desks. Teachers were being overworked and were unable to attend to individual needs of pupils. They also could not manage to give adequate homework and remedial work due to large classes. Consequently, the Zambian government seems to have failed to meet the needs of primary schools in Kafue due to the surge in enrolments. Scholars in this study recommended that the Ministry of General Education should evaluate the practicality and sustainably of the Free Primary Education in all primary schools in Kafue district. Furthermore, additional funds should be allocated for schools to enable them buy teaching and learning materials.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0696/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Is Universal Free Primary Education Policy Sustainable? An Investigation in Lusaka, Zambia

Is Universal Free Primary Education Policy Sustainable? An Investigation in Lusaka, Zambia

Free Instructional Resources Provision on Equity in Access to Education in Primary Schools in Marakwet Sub County, Kenya

Free primary education (FPE) in Kenya came into being in the year 2003. The introduction of the policy was aimed at realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) objectives before the year 2015. FPE was mooted with the idea of promoting equity and access to education by all children despite their economic background, gender, geographical location among other factors but its effect in promoting equity has been the subject for inquiry by many scholars although no study has been undertaken to look at the contribution of FPE on promotion of equity in primary in Marakwet Sub County, Elgeyo–Marakwet County, Kenya. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of free instructional resources provision on Equity in access to education in primary schools in Marakwet Sub County, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya. The study was guided by Rawls Theory of Justice. The study was conducted in primary schools in Marakwet Sub County involving 99 schools. The study used cross-sectional survey research design technique. The target population comprised of head teachers, Sub County Education Officer (DEO), Parents Teachers Representatives (PTA) and teachers of selected schools within the Sub County. The sample size comprised of 30 head teachers, 30 PTA officials, 1 DEO and 197 teachers. Purposive and systematic sampling techniques were used in selecting respondents. Questionnaires, interview schedules and document checklists were instruments for data collection. Instruments were tested for validity and reliability before field data collection. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Multiple linear Regression) with the aid of SPSS (Version 20.0) computer programme. The findings were presented using tables, pie charts and graphs. MLR result showed that 12.3% of the Equity in access to education in primary schools was accounted by availing of instructional resources. The study recommends that there be an increase in vote heads for tuition support, infrastructure and teacher recruitment to ensure equity in education access in primary schools in the study area. The findings of the study will help the Ministry of Education on proper management and implementation of FPE Policy towards promoting equity in primary schools. The children rights to participation in free primary education will also be supported through the study findings.

Implementation of the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Policy in Public Schools in Ogun State, Nigeria: Evaluation

Implementation of the Free and Compulsory Primary Education Policy in Public Schools in Ogun State, Nigeria: Evaluation

The Effect of the Free Primary Education Policy on School Enrolment and Relative Grade Attainment in Lesotho†

Abstract We examine the impact of Lesotho’s Free Primary Education (FPE) programme on enrolment and relative grade attainment. The programme was sequentially implemented by first abolishing school fees in grade one in the year 2000. The timing of the implementation created changes in programme coverage across age groups over time. We employ a difference-in-differences strategy that exploits these variations to identify the effects of the FPE policy. Using data from the 2000 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey and the 2002 Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire survey, we find that the FPE policy increased enrolment of primary school-age children by 19.1 percentage points between 1999 and 2002. We also find that the policy had a negative effect on relative grade attainment: post-FPE, children had 0.15 fewer grades per year of age compared to pre-FPE. We do not find evidence of sibling effects.

The Challenges of Free Primary Education Implementation in Primary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya

In January 2003 the Kenyan government implemented Free Primary Education (FPE). The launch of the programme saw an increase in enrolment in primary schools which put pressure on learning resources. The FPE policy envisaged that the government would provide teaching and learning materials to all public primary schools. This paper therefore discusses challenges of implementing FPE in Bungoma East District in Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used in this study. The target population was head teachers, teachers, the school management committee chair persons and the students. Since there are rural and urban schools, stratified sampling was done to get a more representative sample. Instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview schedule, and document analysis and observation schedules. The study found that upward trend in enrolment since the inception of FPE in 2003 led to overcrowding in class and many more schools opening up. It also found that there was lack of enough teachers to handle the increased numbers of pupils. It was also established that delayed release of FPE funds led to challenges in the FPE appropriate implementation. The findings will inform the policy makers to make more informed decisions towards implementation of the free primary education in order to achieve Universal Education.

Community participation in school governance: The Maasai community in Kenya

The Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in Kenya created a dichotomy between the widespread notion that the government should be responsible for everything and the reality that the government had stopped recruiting teachers. This article investigates the current state of the accountability system for school governance in public schools in the Maasai community in Loitokitok District, Kajiado County, by focusing on the client power of parents and communities. A case study of eight schools in the Masai community reveals that a sense of “working together” and a substantial degree of client power are present in various school initiatives. Elements that enhance client power include information sharing, collaboration and coordination with stakeholders, critical-thinking ability, respect and trust, and other unique efforts. The study also indicates the limitations of the dichotomous lens of “service provider” and “client” and questions the instrumental approach to community participation in school management.

Informal fee charge and school choice under a free primary education policy: Panel data evidence from rural Uganda

Although Uganda became a pioneer in sub-Saharan Africa by introducing a fee abolition policy to achieve universal primary education, charging fees has become increasingly common. This study assesses the effect of informal fee charges in public schools on primary school attendance and choice in rural Uganda, finding that there is a strong negative effect of high fees on public school attendance of children from poor households. The study also finds a limited role of private schools absorbing the children from poor households who left public school due to high fee charges.

Reflections of Teachers in the FPE Era

The free primary education policy has led to a significant increase in primary school enrollment in the country, from 8.6 million children in 2008 to 9.9 million in 2012. Increased enrollment complicated the work of teachers in the classrooms in the wake of FPE. This article seeks to document the challenges that teachers face in Kenyan classrooms across six urban sites in Kenya. Data come from the Education Research Program at the African Population and Health Research Center, collected in the months of January to March 2012. This article presents data from Focus Group Discussions, which were analyzed using thematic qualitative analysis. Results show that teachers across the six urban sites faced numerous challenges, with the most striking one being the process of evaluation by district quality assurance officers, who need to take into consideration the circumstances in which teachers teach in the schools across the country. Overall, the study called for the need to take the contexts of the respective schools into consideration even as they visit schools to ensure that teachers adhere to the quality assurance and standards procedures. This is because different schools have different teachers implementing the curricula.

Parental Choice and Learner Achievement in Primary Education in Rachuonyo Sub County, Kenya: Focusing on Quality of Education

Kenyan government launched Free Primary Education (FPE) in 2003 to make schooling affordable to all parents, butless attention has been paid to the quality assurance and equity of the education system. Studies have indicated thatthe FPE policy sacrificed the quality of education and this led to parents avoiding FPE offered in primary schoolsand take their children to private schools which are considered costly. This study adopted descriptive survey designto as the research design. Rational comprehensive model theory was used which aims at discussing personal factorsinfluencing parental choice for primary education schools in Rachuonyo Sub-County, Homabay County, Kenya. Thetarget population for this study was 5269 parents and 198 head teachers out of which 240 respondents were sampledthrough stratified random sampling. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used as the main data collectiontools. Validity and reliability was ascertained by the internal consistency and piloting. The quantitative data wasanalyzed using data analysis matrix while the qualitative data was analyzed through thematic analysis. The findingsshowed that the parents had great interest on healthy environments; school safety, social atmosphere andconvenience are greatly considered by parents when making decision on schools for children. The findings of thestudy are that learning environment, school safety, social atmosphere and convenience all influence parental choicefor primary schools in Rachuonyo South Sub County. Learning environment scores a mean of 3.1397; school safety,3.4525; social atmosphere, 3.0782; and convenience 3.1285.

The Demographic Promise of Expanded Female Education: Trends in the Age at First Birth in Malawi.

The expansion of female education has been promoted as a way to postpone the age of first birth. In sub-Saharan Africa, the first cohorts to benefit from policies that expanded access to education are now reaching adulthood and beginning childbearing. I investigate whether the expansion of education in Malawi, which implemented a free primary education policy in 1994 and subsequently expanded secondary schooling, has led to a later age at first birth and whether the education gradient in fertility timing has remained stable over time. Despite increases in female grade attainment over the past twenty years, the age at first birth has not changed. Using instrumental variables analysis, I find a significant negative association between grade attainment and age at first birth, suggesting that the deterioration of school quality and shift in the age pattern of enrollment that accompanied educational expansion may have compromised the transformative potential of education.

Pro-poor budget analysis of Kenya's free primary education policy

This practical note outlines Concern's approach to pro-poor budget analysis using the case of the Kenya Free Primary Education (FPE) policy. Analysis conducted on the outcomes of the FPE policy for Nairobi's urban slum-based poor suggests that the policy is not being implemented evenly within the city. The reasons stem from poor allocation and planning approaches, to political interference and unwillingness of teachers to work in slum-based schools. These have the unintended effect of increasing inequities for the urban poor, the reverse of the policy intention. The note outlines the pitfalls and practicalities of conducting this type of analysis.