Financial Resource Planning Dynamics and Performance of Upgraded Extra-County Schools to National Status in Western Kenya Counties

Abstract

The assessment of secondary school success is according to the number of students they are producing to join universities and other higher learning institutions. To increase access to all pupils from primary schools to access secondary schools, the government of Kenya upgraded previously extra county schools to national status to ensure regional distribution of schools across the nation. With the upgrade, the government was required to inject funds to enable facilities expansion. Despite the upgrade, the money allocated and disbursed to schools has always been inadequate to meet the needs of students. Therefore, this demands that school management makes plans for financial mobilisation to ensure that school operations are done without interruptions. The paper looks at the financial resource planning strategies that upgraded national schools in western Kenya have in place for the purpose of improving their performance. Data was collected from eight of the upgraded schools making up the study population where principals and teachers were the respondents. A sample of 156 respondents was selected to answer research questions through interviews and questionnaires. Analysis of data was performed using quantitative and qualitative methods. SPSS facilitated quantitative data analysis. The study found out that schools experienced financial shortfall arising from inadequate capitation grants from the government and delay in payment of schools by students. To cushion themselves, schools had made several financial plans like applying for grants for infrastructure development. Further, despite schools having large tracts of land, some school management did not put into use either through growing grass for dairy farming or planting crops for subsidising school food supplies. Computed correlation statistics showed a weak correlation that existed (r=0.191 and p=0.016) between financial planning dynamics and academic performance of upgraded national schools in the western region of Kenya. The paper concludes that financial resource planning strategies had minimal effects on the academic performance of upgraded national secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary examinations. The paper recommends that there is a need for school administration to work with stakeholders to identify profitable projects that can be implemented in their school to earn income.

Academic Performance of Upgraded Extra-County Schools to National Status in Western Kenya Counties

“…This led the Ministry of Education in 2011 to elevate 30 more provincial schools to national status (total 48) in order to increase equity in access to secondary education. In the year 2013, the Ministry further upgraded 30 more extra county schools to national status to promote equity, national unity and cohesion, leading the total number of schools to 78 national schools from different counties in Kenya (Wekesa, Kipkoech & Okemwa, 2021). The upgrading process did not stop there and 27 more schools were added making the country have a total number of such categories of schools at 105 by 2014.…”

“…The upgrading process did not stop there and 27 more schools were added making the country have a total number of such categories of schools at 105 by 2014. Before 2011, there were no national schools in the whole of western Kenya; therefore, from 2011-2014, a total of 8 extra county schools were upgraded to national status; these are Lugulu Girls, Bunyore Girls, Friends School Kamusinga, Butula Boys, Kakamega Boys, Butere Girls, Kolanya Girls and Chavakali Boys (Ngoko, 2019;Wekesa & Kitainge, 2020).…”