Title:
INFLUENCE OF CONSTITUENCY DEVELOPMENT BURSARY FUND ON RETENTION OF STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA

Authors:
Robert Kamanda, Henry Onderi and Benard Mwebi

Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of constituency development bursary fund on retention of students in public secondary schools in Kisii South Sub-County. The study was guided by the following objectives: to examine the criteria employed in awarding Constituency Development Bursary Fund in public secondary schools; to find out the level of influence of Constituency Development Bursary Fund on retention of students in secondary schools; to establish main challenges facing constituency development bursary fund programme and to determine strategies on ways of making Constituency Development Bursary Fund more efficient in secondary schools. The target population of the study was 24 principals, 35 class teachers, 1434 form four students, 5 area chiefs and 1 Sub-county Education Officer (SEO). Saturated sampling was used to select 24 schools, 24 principals, 35 class teachers and 5 chiefs, Sub-county Education Officer (SEO) and simple random sampling to select 143 students. Descriptive survey research design was used to shape the research. Data collection was carried out using questionnaires and interview schedules. To test for reliability, test-retest technique was applied and a correlation coefficient of 0.70 was obtained. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequency counts while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. From the study findings, it was found out that the level of awareness on Constituency Development Bursary Fund (CDBF) application and qualification criteria was very low in secondary schools and therefore the deserving students did not apply for the CDBF; the criterion used in awarding bursary fund was family background, academic performance and discipline; the bursary allocated was not enough to cater for all the educational costs. The main challenges facing CDBF were: inadequacy of funds, corruption, political influence and irregular allocation of funds to needy cases. The study concluded that CDBF slightly improved retention of students in secondary schools. The study recommends that the government should review the guidelines on allocation of CDBF to ensure that the deserving students benefit from the funds and bursary funds should be devoid of political interference.