The emergence of self-help education phenomenon was analyzed by examining the documents available in the Ministry of Education. The records indicate that self-help education was started in Kenya earlier than 1963, particularly in the Central Province under the name, Kikuyu Independent Schools; and in many locations of Nyanza Province. The largest movement of self-help education started in 1963. Records show that such schools have grown in magnitude and have contributed to the increase in the number of secondary school places in most parts of the country. The government has accepted that Harambe schools have been a blessing to the rural people. The government has encouraged the traditional efforts of self-help in the rural communities of Kenya. Harambe schools have increased in number more than the government schools, They enroll more students than the government schools; however, the quality of education offered in both systems of schools remains unequal. Two major government policies on Harambe schools were investigated, The first one was the take-over of the well-established and mature Harambe schools. Such schools are assimilated into the government school system. They are accorded all the benefits that government schools get. The second policy was assistance to selected Harambe schools. The assistance could be in the form of qualified teachers from government institutions or overseas volunteer teachers. It was indicated in this study that these policies have contributed to the expansion of Harambe schools in the rural communities where children who complete primary education cannot find enough places in government schools. Initiation of such schools is based on the notion that once started, the take-over or government assistance would be available. However, records have shown that most of these type of schools have remained poorly maintained especially in economically poor rural areas. Poor conditions have contributed to low educational standards in these schools. Consequently, the needs of the students and the rural communities are not met. Four issues that affect Harambe schools were selected for analysis and some policy alternatives and action by the government examined. Issues in Harambe schools were those that involve the curricula, governance, personnel, and finance. Harambe schools employ a curriculum that is designed for well-established government schools. Such a curriculum is basically academic, bookish and prepares children to pass the public examination, but it hardly equips them with functional skills. It was demonstrated in this study that students who attend Harambe schools do not benefit from such a curriculum. Governance of Harambe schools is shared between the government and the local communities, parents, and school committees. The question that was asked in this study was: Should the governance of Harambe schools be shared among the different groups? Government exercises indirect control. It regulates the curriculum and requires all students to participate in public examinations. Local communities, parents, and school committees exercise direct control by making school policies, rules, and organization of the operation of such schools. Direct control extends to personnel and finance in Harambe schools. Rural communities contribute cash, labor, and material for establishing Harambe schools. Poor economic resources in many rural areas contribute to the utilization of poorly-qualified staff to teach in Harambe schools. In view of the observations of the issues in Harambe schooling, several policy options and actions by the government were offered as possible means of seeking improvement in the Harambe schools. Alternative policies were specifically confined to the areas of curriculum, governance, personnel, and finance. Many options advanced in the policy alternatives in this study focussed on Harambe schools as an institution of the rural place which must be structured and organized to meet the needs and aspirations of the rural communities. / Ed. D.

This dissertation examines the attempts by the government of Kenya to develop and implement policies directed toward the problem of urban unemployment. Specifically, this study focuses upon two policy areas directly related to the problem of urban unemployment: education and economic growth. Central to the urban unemployment problem is a potential conflict arising out of a rapidly growing number of school graduates on the one hand, and on the other, the limited opportunities for a sufficient level of employment for this segment of the labor force. An additional element of this study is an examination of the possible consequences of Kenya's external dependency upon the linkages between education, economic growth, and employment opportunities. A consistent theme contained in the development literature is that accelerated development in Third World nations such as Kenya depends upon enlarging the supply of educated and trained manpower. Without such manpower, it is argued, development leadership would be woefully lacking and economic growth would be retarded. On the basis of these assumptions, Kenya, like many other developing countries, has focused its attention on the rapid quantitative expansion of school enrollments from primary school to the university. In recent years, however, the idea that conventional educational expansion is an unmitigated social good and an engine for development has been challenged by the emergence of graduate unemployment. The dynamic rate of economic growth and a forceful campaign of Kenyanization have proven impossible to create sufficient employment to meet the now growing numbers of Kenyan students who feel themselves qualified. In an attempt to resolve this problem, government policies have been directed toward improving the different components of the school system: examinations, curriculum reform, and vocational and technical education. However, the impact of these educational strategies in solving the unemployment problem has been extremely limited by the restricted market for technical and vocational skills in the country. The result of this study suggests that the roots of the unemployment problem are in the structure of the society, and particularly in the failure of the Kenyan economy to industrialize and modernize at a rate that absorbs the labor force. These economic problems are traded to Kenya's continued dependency on external economic assistance, which reduces its ability to determine the course of national development independently. This economic problem is of such a magnitude, it can only be solved by structural adjustments, both internally and externally. The findings of this study confirm the dependency argument.

M.A. (Information Science) / The study was undertaken to explore the remote users of services available public university libraries in Kenya. Scarce literature was available locally on the subject of the study. Provision of quality and relevant information services to support teaching, learning and research remains a central objective of libraries in higher education world over. Higher education institutions in Kenya continue to experience unprecedented growth in student population against limited human capital and physical infrastructure, among the library services. This reality has prompted Universities to adopt different education delivery models; distant learning, e-learning, and part time modules to accommodate the extra numbers seeking higher education. Depending on the preferred module, the students can be categorized into three main groups: on-campus, off-campus and remote user groups. Higher learning standards require that all users to have equitable and inclusive access to resources. This study explores the nature and availability of support services and resources available for remote library users in public university libraries in Kenya. The research methodology adopted was a descriptive research design; where qualitative data was collected using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The findings revealed that public university libraries in Kenya have various forms of resources and services that can support remote user needs. However they face certain challenges that hinder the use of the available remote user resources and services in providing equitable access to information services to all its types of users. Key among the challenges was that remote users were not identified as a special user group in the libraries studied contrary to what the study grounded. The results of the study are discussed under three main thematic areas: services for remote users, facilities available for remote users, and policies and regulations that govern remote use of library resources. Equally included in the study are discussions, conclusions and recommendations based on the findings besides identified informational gaps for further research. / Information Science

The study was undertaken to explore the remote users of services available public university libraries in Kenya. Scarce literature was available locally on the subject of the study. Provision of quality and relevant information services to support teaching, learning and research remains a central objective of libraries in higher education world over. Higher education institutions in Kenya continue to experience unprecedented growth in student population against limited human capital and physical infrastructure, among the library services. This reality has prompted Universities to adopt different education delivery models; distant learning, e-learning, and part time modules to accommodate the extra numbers seeking higher education. Depending on the preferred module, the students can be categorized into three main groups: on-campus, off-campus and remote user groups. Higher learning standards require that all users to have equitable and inclusive access to resources. This study explores the nature and availability of support services and resources available for remote library users in public university libraries in Kenya. The research methodology adopted was a descriptive research design; where qualitative data was collected using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The findings revealed that public university libraries in Kenya have various forms of resources and services that can support remote user needs. However they face certain challenges that hinder the use of the available remote user resources and services in providing equitable access to information services to all its types of users. Key among the challenges was that remote users were not identified as a special user group in the libraries studied contrary to what the study grounded. The results of the study are discussed under three main thematic areas: services for remote users, facilities available for remote users, and policies and regulations that govern remote use of library resources. Equally included in the study are discussions, conclusions and recommendations based on the findings besides identified informational gaps for further research. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

Convinced of the role of education in promoting and accelerating economic and social development, the Government of Kenya devoted the early years of independence to the expansion of the education sector. The Government, however, could not shoulder the whole burden of financing education for long and, therefore, introduced the cost sharing policy in 1988. Demand for education has considerably increased in Kenya, yet, the sources of education finances are experiencing constraints even with the cost sharing strategy. With increased poverty levels, many parents are not able to meet the cost requirements under the cost sharing policy. This study, therefore, intended to investigate the impact of the cost sharing policy in secondary education in Kenya. In particular, the study sought to find out the views of teachers, parents and students on the cost sharing policy, the costs of secondary education, the main participants of the cost sharing policy and the proportion of dropouts and absenteeism attributed to the costs of education. This study established that there was an escalation of school fees at secondary school level as a result of the introduction of cost sharing policy in Kenya as well as in the other countries cited in this study. Most parents viewed cost sharing as a burden because not all of them were able to educate their children beyond the primary school level. The study recommends that the Government should introduce better methods of financing secondary education that would enable poor but bright students to join secondary schools of their choice, establish policies of identifying needy students among others. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Convinced of the role of education in promoting and accelerating economic and social development, the Government of Kenya devoted the early years of independence to the expansion of the education sector. The Government, however, could not shoulder the whole burden of financing education for long and, therefore, introduced the cost sharing policy in 1988. Demand for education has considerably increased in Kenya, yet, the sources of education finances are experiencing constraints even with the cost sharing strategy. With increased poverty levels, many parents are not able to meet the cost requirements under the cost sharing policy. This study, therefore, intended to investigate the impact of the cost sharing policy in secondary education in Kenya. In particular, the study sought to find out the views of teachers, parents and students on the cost sharing policy, the costs of secondary education, the main participants of the cost sharing policy and the proportion of dropouts and absenteeism attributed to the costs of education. This study established that there was an escalation of school fees at secondary school level as a result of the introduction of cost sharing policy in Kenya as well as in the other countries cited in this study. Most parents viewed cost sharing as a burden because not all of them were able to educate their children beyond the primary school level. The study recommends that the Government should introduce better methods of financing secondary education that would enable poor but bright students to join secondary schools of their choice, establish policies of identifying needy students among others. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education Management)