TEACHERS’ PREPAREDNESS TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION IN BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The launch of the Free Primary Education (FPE) in 2003 by the Kenyan government lead to an increase in enrolment of learners in primary schools which posed a challenge to the teacher preparation of handling large number of learners. This paper therefore discusses teacher preparedness with reference to FPE in Bungoma East District in Kenya. A descriptive survey design was used in this study. The target population was head teachers, teachers and the school management committee chair persons. Since there are rural and urban schools, stratified sampling was done to get a more representative sample. Instruments for data collection were questionnaires, interview schedule, and document analysis and observation schedules. Most teachers feel inadequate in handling challenges of FPE on resource utilization due to inadequate in-service programmes. The findings will inform the policy makers in making informed decisions towards proper teacher preparation for FPE implementation.