INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL INPUT IN FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION ON THE INTERNAL EFFICIENCY OF THE PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BOMET SUB-COUNTY, KENYA.

ABSTRACT: The two key stakeholders in provision of public primary education in Kenya are parents and thegovernment. The government has done its part by provision of Free Primary Education (FPE) since January2003, a move which enabled more than 1.5 million children join public primary schools. The aim of theprovision of FPE was to eliminate wastage and it targeted 100% completion rates by 2015. However, in Kenyafrom 2012-2015 completion rates remain slightly above 84%. Wastages are still being experienced in form ofdrop-outs and repeaters. FPE policy in Kenya came as a political pledge thus parents as stakeholders ineducation were not involved. Most of them take FPE to mean the government has taken over everything and thusthey have no input to give in schools. This occurs as parents are not well oriented on how the FPE policy works.The government does not specifically spell out the input of parents and the extent of that input thus leavingschool administrations to deal with issues of parental input at their own discretion. This makes the level ofparental input in FPE obscure and thus a subject of assessment by the researcher. The purpose of this study isthus to assess the level of parental input in FPE policy and the influence it has on dropout and repetition oflearners in public primary schools in Bomet Sub-County. The findings indicate a low parental input . Thefindings further indicate that, if parental input is reinforced in schools it can translate to low repetition rate,and dropout rate thus a possibility of achieving 100% completion rates. The findings of this study are useful tostakeholders in education as it informs them on the need of participatory approach in implementing FPE so asto curb wastage in schools.

Key words: Dropout, repetition, parental input