INFLUENCE OF DEVOLUTION SUPPORT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION ON RETENTION OF PUPILS IN PUBLIC PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN WARENG SUB COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Pre-primary education should be accessible to all which mandates government to ensure that necessary resources are availed to ensure provision of quality learning. The spirit of improving pre-primary education resulted to Kenya devolving the function to county governments through passage of new constitution in 2010. Statistics shows that with county government management of pre-primary school, enrolment levels increased from 2013 to date. However, the extent to which this support has resulted to retention of enrolled learners in schools has not been adequately researched. The aim of this study was to examine how devolution support affected retention of pupils in public Early Childhood Education Development (ECDE) schools in Wareng Sub County Kenya. The specific study objectives were: to establish the influence of pre - school teacher support, instructional resource provision, infrastructure and support school feeding programme on retention of pupils in public ECDE centres in Wareng Sub County. Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky constructivist theory guided this study. 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 sample size of 113 respondents computed using sample size determination table by Morgan and Krejcie (1979) and was selected through simple random sampling technique and 5 ECDE field officers through purposive sampling methods. The research instruments involved use of observation checklist, questionnaires and interview schedules. The research instruments were validated and tested for reliability before being taken to the field. Based on the nature of data collected, qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Qualitative data analysis was aided by use of thematic content analysis. Quantitative analysis of data was done through descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of Statistical Product and Service Solutions computer programme. Data analysed was presented through graphical forms, tables and narrations. Research results showed that all respondents agreed that there has been significant change in public pre-primary centres because of the devolution support. Computed correlation statistics showed existence of significant positive effect (p<0.05) between devolution support and retention of learners in public pre-primary schools in Wareng Sub County. However, the support was not common across all four areas under investigation as the county government concentrated only in employing teachers on contract basis, building classrooms and providing curriculum documents to schools. However, the school feeding programme support came from parents and private sector players. The study concludes that indeed that devolution support is critical in ensuring pupils are retained in schools on condition that the four areas of support are being funded well. The study recommends that pre-primary teachers should be employed in schools with higher learner population, teachers need to be under permanent and pensionable terms, the county government to partner with other stakeholders to ensure instructional resources are availed in schools and sensitisation of community on the need to support school feeding initiatives to improve retention rate of children in public pre-primary centres.