Factors hindering the deployment of female teachers to headship positions in public primary schools in Nambale Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Worldwide, women representation in management and leadership positions is marginal. Despite immense academic advancement by women, few of them do advance to management positions. In Kenya, women make up a critical portion of human resource base. However, they are grossly underrepresented at leadership positions. This situation is reflected in school leadership positions as well, including headship of schools. Unless the gender gaps in management and leadership positions are addressed, the talent of high skilled women would be underutilized and there might be a reproduction of gender inequality across generations. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors hindering the deployment of female teachers to headship positions in public primary schools. The main objective of this study was to establish the extent to which the two-thirds gender policy was being applied in deployment of female teachers to headship positions. This study was conducted in Nambale Sub-county. Descriptive survey design was used in this study. Out of a study population of 519 respondents comprising 45 head teachers, 45 deputy head teachers, 427 teachers drawn from 45 public primary schools in Nambale Sub-County, the District Education Officer (DEO) and District Quality Assurance and Standard Officer (DQASO), stratified sampling technique was employed to select 35 head teachers, 35 deputy head teachers and 196 teachers. Saturated sampling was used to select the DEO and the DQASO. Therefore, a sample size of 268 respondents, representing 52% of the study population was used in this study. Questionnaires, interview schedule guide and document analysis guide were used as instruments of data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Findings from the study revealed that the Ministry of Education provided for equal opportunities in terms of deployment but the two-thirds gender policy was not applied in deployment of teachers to school headship. Based on these findings, the study proposed that the Teachers Service Commission should come up with clear and precise deployment policies expressed in writing so that their compliance can easily be checked and the Ministry of Education should design a mechanism for implementing the two-thirds gender policy in deployment of teachers to headship positions.