Factors Influencing Parental Patronage of Private Primary Schools in Kenya Despite Free Primary Education (FPE) in Public Schools

Free primary education (FPE) has attracted a lot of attention and its implementation was a landmark policy decision by the government of National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) in January 2003. This pronouncement of the attainment of Universal Primary Education (UPE) by the year 2005 and education for all by 2015 has been one of the major development goals of the Kenyan government. However conditions of learning are crucial in achieving this goal. There are real concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the overall impact of FPE on enrolment and quality of education in both public and private primary schools. The purpose of this study was to establish factors influencing parental patronage of private primary education despite free primary education in public primary schools in Getembe Division, Kisii County, Kenya. The study involved 816 parents drawn from 51 primary schools in Getembe division selected by random stratified sampling proportionate to population size (PPS). It was based on descriptive survey design. Questionnaires and document analysis guide were used to collect data. Reliability of the instruments was addressed through piloting in six schools. Each alpha level value was set at 0.05 and the Pearson (r) for parents/guardians’ questionnaire was 0.795 for private and 0.764 for public primary schools respectively. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of frequency counts, means and percentages. Data was presented by use of tables, pie charts, bar graphs and line graphs. The results indicate that pupil teacher ratio (PTR) is the major factor influencing parental choice of a school. The study found out that parents consider quality when making schooling decisions for their children. Free Education was found to be the major reason for parental preference of public primary schools. It was also found that FPE has increased access to education but it has caused general decline in academic performance in public education and occasioned a surge for demand for private education. The study also found out that most people including those in public primary schools prefer private primary schools for their children. The study concluded that, policies addressing school quality are likely to be more effective in increasing school enrolment. It is hoped that stakeholders in education including teachers, parents, policy makers and students will benefit from this study. Key words: Free Primary Education (FPE), private, public, patronag