Role Of Constituency Development Funds On Secondary School Student Access, Transition, Retention And Completion In Soy Constituency, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

Abstract

High amount of fees and high dropout rates have caused outcry in the education system as they have reduced learners’ accessibility, transition, retention, and completion of secondary education. Attainment of literacy is linked to millennium development aspirations and goals in Kenya are expressly hinged on the availability of fiscal resources to support students to go through the learning process. The objectives of the study were to examine the role of CDF on secondary school student access, transition, retention, and completion in Soy Constituency. The study employed descriptive research design and used questionnaires and interview schedules as instruments of data collection from students, principals, and CDF committee members. Out of 9961 students, 40 principals, and 15 CDF committee members, the study used purposive sampling in selecting 98 students, and simple random sampling in selecting 12 principals and 4 CDF committees. A pilot study was carried out using test-retest method to establish the reliability of instruments. The experts of Education and Human Resource Management of Kisii University assessed the validity of the instruments. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings show that CDF have a role on secondary school student access, transition, retention, and completion because the amount of CDF bursary allocated ranged from 5,000 and 10,000. This amount constitutes between 22-31% of the fees required, and 80% of the students agree that CDF has a role in access to secondary education while principals indicated that about 5% of students benefit from CDF bursary. In the aspect of transition, CDF funds also have a role because 17% of students who proceeded immediately to secondary due to CDF funds and 41.7% of principals indicated that CDF has raised transition of students from primary to secondary schools by 25-49%, 25% indicated that the CDF has raised transition by between 50-74%, and 33.3% indicated that CDF has raised transition by below 25%.The analysis of data regarding student retention indicated that 17% of the students noted that the amount of CDF received reduced their chance of dropping out of school due to fee problems. Further findings indicate that most principals stated that CDF funds have significantly increased the retention rate of students by between 11-30%. Regarding the role of CDF funds on student completion, 83% of principals hold that CDF has a role in reducing school dropout, 42% of the principals agree that CDF bursary has increased completion rate by below 25%, and 25% agree that it increases completion rate by between 25-49%. The CDF committees indicated that CDF funds has a role in accessibility, transition, and retention of students as about 20% of students get CDF funds. However, inaccessible application forms, corrupt practices, competitive application of CDF bursary funds by needy students, priority given to students in colleges and universities, and insufficiency of CDF funds as some of the factors that limit the number of students who receive funds. Therefore, the findings of the study reveal that CDF funds play a central role in student access, transition, retention, and completion of secondary schools in Soy constituency, Uasin Gishu County. Hence, to improve access, transition, retention, and completion of secondary schools by students, the study offered some recommendations. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education should leverage allocation and disbursement of CDF funds while the CDF committee should increase the amount of funds allocated to the needy students and provide consistent support. Moreover, the study recommends that the CDF committee should vet students and determine the needy ones to prevent their dropout, the secondary schools and CDF committees should collaborate in the allocation bursary whereas county and constituencies should harmonize allocation and disbursement of bursary funds.