Enhancing Socio-Economic Equity in Accessing Quality Education: A Case of Form One Selection Policy in KISII County, Kenya

Abstract

Through its educational policies, Kenya is among the countries whose aim is to achieve equity in access to secondary school by pupils from different socio-economic background. This study determines the level of equity in access to different categories of secondary school by pupils from different socio-economic background. The study adopted descriptive survey design and it used questionnaires and document analysis schedules to collect data from students and head teachers.

Stratified and Purposive sampling procedures were used to obtain a sample of 93 secondary school students and 60 primary schools.

The result showed that majority of students who learnt in private primary schools belonged to the upper and middle socio-economic backgrounds and they accessed national and quality provincial secondary schools while majority of those from public primary schools joined county secondary schools. There was lack of adequate resources, minimal parental support and high pupil-teacher ratios in public primary schools unlike in private ones. The implication is that unless the Ministry of Education reviews the selection policy this trend is likely to perpetuate intergenerational poverty and social inequality. The study therefore suggests that, the government and other stakeholders should equitably distribute learning resources to public schools to enable more pupils from low socio-economic background access quality education. The government should also rethink the quota admission policy so that socio-economic equity is achieved during form one selection process.