Availability and Adequacy of Physical Infrastructure as Determinants of Parental Choice of Primary Schools in Embakasi Sub-County, Nairobi City County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of physical facilities on parental choice of primary schools in Embakasi Sub-county, Nairobi City County, Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent to which the adequacy and condition of physical facilities influenced parents’ choice of primary schools. The study also sought to compare the adequacy and condition of physical facilities in public and private schools in Embakasi Sub-county. Using a descriptive survey design, the study targeted 20 public schools with 30,201 parents and 97 private schools with 30,257 parents.  To pick the study sample, the population was stratified into two subgroups of public and private schools. Each of the subgroups was further subdivided into subgroups of school heads and parents from which 95 school heads and 600 parents were picked.  Systematic sampling was used to pick the respondents. Primary data were collected using questionnaires. Collected data was analyzed qualitatively based on themes and quantitatively using frequencies and percentages. The study findings revealed that majority (68.7%) of the parents were influenced by availability of permanent buildings. Well-stocked libraries ranked second at 54.4 percent while good furniture ranked third at 39.5 percent. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) in partnership with other stakeholders ensures that schools have adequate facilities to meet parents’ expectations. There is also need for regular assessment of both public and private schools by MoEST to ensure that they operate above a given minimum standard of physical facilities.

Keywords: Physical facilities, Parental choice, availability, adequacy (247 words)