Exploring the Role and Status of Catholic Private Secondary Schools in Kenya

Abstract

Globally, the Catholic Church is recognized as one of the major champions of formal education. In Kenya, over 31% of all primary to postsecondary learning institutions are either public sponsored and, or, privately-managed by the Catholic Church. Besides the high demand for education in these schools, they also pride in their chronological niche of excellence which is anchored on the philosophy of holistic education and faith formation. This paper presents findings of a study conducted to determine views about the role and status of the Catholic private schools in Kenya. The study was centered on prevailing sustainability threats of these secondary schools in relation to the diminishing catholic identity, enrolment rates and level of students' academic achievement. The convergent parallel approach of the mixed methods research design was employed. The study was conducted in 16 Catholic secondary schools located in two catholic dioceses of Kenya. A sample of 112 respondents was selected using the purposive sampling and census techniques. Data was collected using standardized questionnaire, interview schedule and document analysis guides. While the study revealed an increase in student enrolment in the past five year, it emerged the tenets of catholic school identity has diminished significantly over time. Moreover, the sustainability of these schools was threatened by low students' performance, low retention rates, high rate of teacher turnover, financial constraints and low standards of school infrastructure and learning facilities. The study recommended the need to reclaim catholic identity in the schools, and particularly by returning the presence of religious men and women in teaching and school administration. It also recommended the establishment of a national and diocesan quality standards boards to collective oversee school administration, teacher management and financial management. School managers also need to professionally manager school revenue while identifying alternative sources of funding to improve the learning environment. This includes employing appropriate competitive strategies to attract and retain students, teachers and staff in the school.