TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGIATION PAGE
Title page ..........................................................................................•..•..................................................... i
Declaration .............................................................................................................................................. ii
Supervisors' approval... .....................................•...................•..•..•....................................................•..... Iii
Dedication ............................................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgement ..............•.........................................................•....................•.................................... v
Table of contents .............................................................................................................................. vi- viii
List of tables ............................................................................................................................................. ix
Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. x
Chapter 1. ................................................................................................................................................ 1
1.0 lntroduction .................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background information ...............•....................•.•.......................•..................................•..•... 1
1.2 Statement of the problem ....................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Purpose of the study ........•.....................•......................•.......................................................... 2
1.4 Objective of the study .............................................................................................................. 3
1.5 The scope of the study ....................................•.......................•............................................... 3
1. 6 Significance of the study .......................................................................................................... 3
1.7 Operational definition ofterms ....•.•.......................•..................................................•..•......... 3
1.80 limitation of the study ............................................................................................................. .4
1.81 Delimitation of the study ..•.•.........................•...............•....•..................................................... 5
Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................................. 6
2.0 literature review ....................................•....•....................•................................................ 6
2.10 Stake holders' contribution and their roles in FPE ............................................................... 6
2.11 The contribution of the government and ministry of education ...........................•..•..•...... 7
2.12 The contribution of the school committee and schools ...................................................... 7
2.13 The contribution of teachers .......•.•.•.................•••.•....................•..•.................•.......•.............. 8
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2.14 The contribution of pupils .................................................................................................... 9
2.15 The contribution of parents ................................................................................................... 10
2.20 The effects of free primary education .................................................................................. 10
2.21 The positive effects of free primary education .................................................................... 11
2.22 The challenges of free primary education ........................................................................... 11
2.23 The intervention measures of free primary education ..................................................... 12
2.24 Research questions .................................................................................................................. 12
Chapter 3 ............................................................................................................................................. 13
3.0 Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 13
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 13
3.2 Research approach ................................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Research design ....................................................................................................................... 13
3.4 Target population ..................................................................................................................... 13
3.5 Sample population ................................................................................................................... 13
3.6 Sampling procedure ................................................................................................................. 14
3. 7 The study tools and instruments ........................................................................................... 14
3.8 Administration of tools ........................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 4 ................................................................................................................................................ 15
4.0 Data presentation and analysis ............................................................................................. 15
4.1 profile of the respondents ...................................................................................................... 15
4.2 The contribution of the ministry of education towards FPE ............................................... 16
4.3 Teachers employed by TSC compared to free primary education demand ..................... 16
4.4 Reaction of parents of children with mental retardation to free primary educatio ........ 16
4.5 Parents support towards free primary education programme ......................................... 17
4.6 Has FPE lowered the attention of teachers towards children with special needs education ....... 17
4.7 Free primary education have lowered self esteem of children with mental
challenge .................................................................................................................................... 18
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4.8 Accessibility to free primary education by learners with mental challenges ................. 18
4.9 Has the quality of teaching improved when FPE was implemented .................................. 18
4.10 Effects of free primary education on the enrolment of children with mental
challenges ................................................................................................................................... 19
4.11 Are the teaching resources provided by the government enough and relevant for the
mentally ...................................................................................................................................... 19
4.12 The general attitude of teachers towards free primary education programme ............. 19
4.13 Reasons for teachers' negative attitude towards free primary education programme .. 20
4.14 The best solution to challenges facing the teaching of learners who are mentally
challenged ................................................................................................................................... 20
4.15 Is the free primary programme a success or a fail... ............................................................ 21
4.16 Why free primary programme have succeeded ................................................................... 21
4.17 Why free primary programme have failed ......................................................................... 21
4.18 What the government can do to ensure success of free primary programme for the
mentally challenged ................................................................................................................. 22
Chapter 5 ................................................................................................................................................ 23
5.0 Summary, discussion, conclusion and recommendation .................................................. 23
5.1 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 23
5.2 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 23
5.3 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 24
5.4 Recommendation .................................................................................................................. 25
References
Appendices
Introduction letter ................................................................................................................... A
Map of the study environment ............................................................................................. 8
Questionnaire for head- teacher and teachers .................................................................... C
ABSTRACT
The rationale of this research study was to access and examine the factors to be addressed to enhance the success of universal free primary education for learners who are mentally challenged in special schools and units and probably propose some possible intervention measures to counter the challenges. It should be noted that free primary school education programme was implemented in Kenya without any clear policy and hence it led to development of negative attitudes both from teachers, parents, pupils and other education stake holders. For instance increased pupil's enrolment led to poor quality teaching in overcrowded class rooms. Several education commissions recommendation and conventional world meeting resolutions geared towards attaining free universal education for all was never implemented fully in Kenya according to the task force report {kochung, 2003). This implies that the programme was implemented hurriedly before the necessary machinery was put in place to ascertain total success. The targeted population was teachers and head teachers of special schools and units in kipkelion district. The sampling procedures were done purposively and randomly from the target population. The design used to collect raw data was survey which uses questionnaire instruments. The data collected was analyzed and presented in a tabular form using quantitative and qualitative approaches. The interpretation of the findings indicated that free primary education programme for learners who are mentally challenged has several advantages and also disadvantages. The main positive effect is that many children are now in school because fees and other levies were abolished by the government. Thus leaning resources though not enough are available. Likewise the system has negative effects such as poor quality of teaching due overcrowding and understaffing. Also special equipment for learners with special needs is limited. In general recommendation the government should mobilize and sensitize all the key stake holders to participate objectively in order to enhance the success of the programme and to eradicate the short comings. Specifically the government should strive to implement in total all the recommendation suggested by task force on special needs education, {kochung, 2003) so that the mentally challenged and other learners with special needs education are fully catered for.
