Role of Community in Enhancing the Welfare of Early Childhood Education Centres in Meru South County, Kenya.

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.