Boards of Management Governance Strategies: Predictors of Safety Standards in Public Secondary Schools, Kenya

Grace Ndungu; petronilla Kingi; Jeremiah Kalai

Grace Ndungu University of Nairobi
petronilla Kingi University of Nairobi
Jeremiah Kalai University of Nairobi

Keywords: Board of Management, Public boarding secondary schools, Safety standards

Abstract

The safety of learners is ultimate in the provision of quality education. Secure school environments foster quality teaching and learning (Ministry of Education, 2008). However, the well-being of school children remains a global problem due to the recurrence of tragedies and safety management in schools remains a growing concern. Adequate management of safety is obligatory to save lives. The study aimed to examine the influence of Boards of Management governance strategies on compliance with safety standards in public boarding secondary schools in Embu County, Kenya. Two objectives guided the study; To examine the influence of planning for disasters by Boards of Management on compliance with safety standards in public boarding secondary schools in Embu County; To establish the effect of training of stakeholders on safety knowledge and skills by Boards of Management on compliance with safety standards. Pragmatic philosophy and convergent mixed-method design were adopted. The study targeted five sub-counties and 64 public-boarding secondary schools. BoM and Parents Association chairpersons, BoM secretaries, Heads of Departments (HoDs), and Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (SCQASOs) participated. Simple random, stratified, and purposive sampling gave a sample of 55 schools and 5 SCQASOs. The total number of respondents was 445. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interview, and observation schedules. Expert judgment determined the validity while Cronbach's Alpha computed confirmed reliability. Quantitative data were descriptively analyzed, while qualitative information was analyzed thematically. The study revealed a strong correlation between governance strategies and safety. The study also confirmed the significant influence of governance strategies on school safety. The study concluded that governance strategies are strongly associated with and significantly influence school safety. The Ministry of Education and schools should plan for safety and train human resources for disaster management.