ABSTRACT
This study aimed at investigating the management challenges facing the implementation of Subsidized Secondary Education in public secondary schools in Mashuuru Sub-County, Kajiado County. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine the effect of physical facilities on quality of secondary education; to establish the influence of instructional materials on quality of secondary education; to investigate how staffing of teachers affects the management of SSE and its implication on quality of teaching and learning process; to determine the effect of socio-cultural factors on the SSE programme; and to assess the influence of students’ characteristics on the implementation of SSE in secondary schools in Mashuuru Sub-County. This study was anchored on Systems Theory (ST) which was developed by Lunenburg (2008). This study adopted a descriptive survey design. This study targets all the 6 head teachers, 67 teachers and 1120 students in 6 public secondary schools in Mashuuru Sub-County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a total of 4 schools. Purposive sampling was employed to select 4 head teachers from sampled schools, 1 Sub-County Education Officer and 1 Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer (QUASO) as the key respondents. A total of 16 teachers and 120 students were selected from the 4 sampled schools using systematic random sampling method. Therefore, the summary of the sample population was 4 head teachers, 16 teachers, 1 SCEO, 1 QUASO and 120 students. This yielded a total of 142 respondents which represented 11.88% of the target population. Questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection. Pilot study was conducted to enhance validity and reliability of the research tools. Quantitative data generated from questionnaires were edited, sorted, coded and entered into a computer. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented using tables, pie-charts and bar-graphs. Qualitative data obtained from interview schedules were organized into common themes and the findings were discussed as per the objectives of the study. Findings of the study indicated that all head teachers, teachers and students stated that the classrooms were adequate. Majority of the respondents stated that laboratory chemicals are not adequate in the sampled schools. The study found that all the sampled schools experienced a serious shortage of teachers which they attempted to address through supplementing the teaching staff with the BOM teachers. The study established that socio-cultural practices affected the academic performance and quality of education in secondary schools. The study established that there were discipline problems in schools which affected the process of quality teaching/learning in schools. The study concludes that most of the head teachers face many challenges during the implementation of SSE ranging from lack of adequate instructional materials and shortage of teachers. The study recommends that parents should pay school fees in time so that schools have adequate resources to construct physical facilities required in schools. Local communities around the schools should be informed through chiefs and other local leaders on the need to prioritize education of girls in ASAL areas just like boys.