Abstract:
The central problem of this study was that although the government is providing
direct grants to primary schools under the free primary education (FPE) financing
scheme, the allocation for Early Childhood Education (ECE) Centres is still quite
minimal. The management of these ECD centres also rests on the headteachers and
the community. The purpose of this study was to find the role of the community in
enhancing the welfare of the ECE centres in Mwimbi Division of Meru South County . A descriptive survey design was used. Data for the study were collected from 14
headteachers, 14 teachers and 28 parents with children in sampled 14 ECDE centres
yielding a sample size of 56. The Study employed questionnaires for headteachers and
teachers and Focus Groups Discussion (FGD) guides for parents. Data analysis was
conducted using qualitative and quantitative techniques, and results presented using
frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The study found out that the, community
supported the programme in several ways including: direct financial assistance, participating in physical development, maintaining feeding programme for learners, developing learning materials, amongst others. However, the level of contribution was
inadequate due to poverty and ignorance among parents. Therefore, the study
recommends that the government should not only allocate substantial funding to this
sector but also sensitize the community to strengthen their keen interest on the
education of their children in ECE centres.
