Implementation of Child-Friendly Schools Initiative and Its Influence on Quality Education in Primary Schools in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties, Kenya

Abstract

The quality of education provided in Kenyan public primary schools is reportedly on a downwards trend. It is out of this concern that the Ministry of Education, in partnership with United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) introduced the Child-Friendly schools initiative as an intervention aimed at improving the quality of education provided in terms of the environment, processes, content and learners. The purpose of this study was to establish the implementation of child friendly schools initiative (CFSI) and its influence on the quality of education. Further, the study sought to examine the following objectives: To establish the implementation of inclusion of learners with special needs in regular schools and its influence on the quality of education; to find out the quality of education in public primary schools; to determine the implementation of active participation of parents, pupils and the community in school governance and how it had influenced the quality of education, to establish the implementation of effectiveness in teaching and learning and its influence on the quality of education; to determine the implementation of gender sensitivity and its influence in the quality of education and to find out the implementation of creating hygienic, safe and protective school environments and its influence on the quality of education in public primary schools in Nairobi and Kajiado counties. The study was informed by the Social Systems theory and the rights-based approach to education. This study is significant in that it may inform the Ministry of Education on the influence of CFSI on the quality of education. This research adopted mixed methods design specifically the explanatory sequential design. The study was carried out in Nairobi and Kajiado Counties. The sample size comprised of 25 headteachers, 150 teachers, 300 pupils and 4 QASO’s. Purposive sampling was used to select pupils and QASO’s while stratified random sampling was used to select teachers. Data was collected by use of questionnaires, an interview guide and an observation checklist. Content validity was determined through expert judgement and Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha was used to establish the reliability of instruments. Qualitative data was analysed thematically while Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics namely, means and percentages. For inferential statistics, simple linear regression was used. The major finding of this study is that all the five CFSI dimensions positively influenced the quality of education. The study recommends that schools should have committees in place to oversee the implementation of the CFSI dimensions.