INFLUENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES ON PROVISION OF SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Compliance with safety standards and guidelines by schools plays a key role in ensuring a safe learning environment. However, in public secondary schools in Makueni County, the situation is quite different, with cases of accidents to learners and staff as well as destruction of school infrastructure being on the rise. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of compliance with safety standards and guidelines on the provision of a safe learning environment in public secondary schools in Makueni County, Kenya. The study was guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. The study adopted mixed methodology and applied quantitative and qualitative approaches. A descriptive research design was employed to collect and analyze data using questionnaires and interview guides. The target population comprised 400 principals, 3769 teachers and 5600 members of the school BoM in public secondary schools in Makueni County totaling 9769 respondents, from which a sample of 379 respondents was calculated using Yamane’s Formula. Stratified sampling was used to create nine strata based on the number of sub-counties in Makueni County. From each sub-county, five principals and 20 members of the school BoM were selected using purposive sampling. However, simple random sampling was applied to select 26 teachers. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from teachers, whereas interview guides were used to collect qualitative data from principals and members of the school BoM. There was also a document checklist analysis guide for the researcher. Piloting was conducted among 38 respondents from a sample of public secondary schools in Makueni County to establish validity and reliability. Validity was ascertained with the help of university supervisors and experts in educational administration. Reliability was determined using the split-half technique, and a reliability index, r = 0.725, between the two halves was obtained using the Cronbach Alpha Method, which indicated high internal reliability. Data analysis began by identifying common themes. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically along the study objectives and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS Version 29) was used to analyse data. Data was presented using tables and percentages. The study revealed that the provision of a safe learning environment poses significant challenges in many public secondary schools. Many of these schools have reported various incidents of accidents and injuries affecting both staff and students, alongside recurrent damage to physical facilities. This is partly attributed to the failure of such public secondary schools to adhere to safety standards and guidelines, the lack of stakeholder participation, as well as irregular in-service training programmes on how to create a safe learning environment in schools. Thus, the study recommends that principals should ensure that schools comply with safety standards and guidelines.

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