TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ............................................................................................................. ii
APPROVAL .................................................................................................................. iii
DEDICATION ............................................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... vi
ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. x
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... xi
CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1
1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background to the study ............................................................................................ 1
1.2 Statement ofthe problem .......................................................................................... 2
1.3 Objectives to the study .............................................................................................. 3
1.3.1 General objective .................................................................................................... 3
1.3.2 Specific Objectives ................................................................................................. 3
1.4 Research questions .................................................................................................... 4
1.5 Scope ofthe study ..................................................................................................... 4
1.6 Significance ofthe study ........................................................................................... 5
1. 7 Theoretical framework .............................................................................................. 6
1.8 Definition ofterms .................................................................................................... 7
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CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................. 9
LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................................ 9
2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 9
2.1 Impact of FPE on early childhood education .......................................................... 1 0
2.1.1 Enrolment for pupils ............................................................................................. 10
2.1. 2 Teachers salary ..................................................................................................... 1 0
2.1.3 Resource allocation .............................................................................................. 11
2.1.4 Government inspection ......................................................................................... 11
2.2 Policies to handle the problems of free primary education in Kenya ...................... 11
CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................... 13
METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................ 13
3.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 13
3.1. Design ..................................................................................................................... 13
3 .2. Environment ........................................................................................................... 13
3.3. Respondents ............................................................................................................ 13
3.4 Instruments of data collection ................................................................................. 14
3.5. Data collection procedure ....................................................................................... 14
3.6. Statistical treatment of data .................................................................................... 14
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CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................... 15
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION ........................... 15
4.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 15
4.2 Impact of free primary education on early childhood education. 4.2.1. Enrollment
of pupils 16
4.2.2 Effect of free primary education on enrolment .................................................... 18
4.2.3 The role of parents in influencing enrolment due to FPE Table 4 parents are
withdrawing off their children from nursery education ................................................ 19
4.2.4 Parents view on free nursery education ............................................................... 20
Table 5: parents want nursery education to be free ....................................................... 20
4.2.5 Parents decision to avoid nursery education ........................................................ 21
4.2.6 Impact of free primary education on the functioning of nursery schools ............. 22
4.2. 7 Evidence of parents enrolling children straight in primary schools ..................... 23
4.3 Teachers salaries and childhood education ............................................................. 24
4.3.1 Employers of nursery teachers ............................................................................. 25
4.3.3 Benefits ofFPE .................................................................................................... 25
4.3.3 FPE and teacher turnover rate .............................................................................. 26
4.3.4 Teachers views about private schools .................................................................. 27
4.4 Impact of FPE on resource allocation The respondents were asked whether the
government allocate enough money in early childhood education and this was the
response ......................................................................................................................... 28
4.4.1 Role of government in allocating resources ......................................................... 29
4.4.2 How has FPE impacted on resource allocation to ECDEC'S? ............................ 29
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4.4.3 Availability of instructional materials .................................................................. 30
4.5 Government inspection. The respondents were asked whether the government
inspects pre primary schools and this was their response. 31
4.5.1 Government aid inspection and quality of sanitation ........................................... 32
4.5.3 Governments role in the sustaining ofECDE in Kenya ....................................... 33
4.6 Policies in Kenya ..................................................................................................... 34
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................... 36
FINDINGS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............ 36
5.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 36
5.2. Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 37
5.3 Recommendations ................................................................................................... 3 8
5.4 Suggestions for further research .............................................................................. 39
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 40
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................... 42
APPENDIX I ................................................................................................................. 42
QUESTIONNAIRE TO TEACHERS ........................................................................... 42
APPENDIX II ................................................................................................................ 52
INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR OFFICIALS ..................................................................... 52
ABSTRACT Despite the importance of pre-school as a foundation for the country's formal education, the Ministry of Education spends less than one percent of its budget on this sub-sector. The General objective of the study was to determine the impact of free primary education on early childhood education. The study employed a descriptive design and interview guides and questionnaires were used in the collection of data. The findings of the study revealed that FP E had had an effect on the enrollment of children because parents are withdrawing their children from ECDE and also want it to be made free like primary education and that that teacher's salary remained the same but their allowances reduced because the number of pupils had reduced. It was recommended that the government had to have a policy in place that could focus on the impact of free primary education on early childhood education and also put them in practice and that parents should be encouraged to take their children for early childhood and also sensitized on its importance
