Influence of Selected Factors on the Implementation of Information and Communication Technology Policy in Public Secondary Schools in Naivasha Sub-County, Kenya

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYThe rapid growth in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has brought remarkable changes in the twenty-first century (Kozma, 2005. This has drawn considerable international attention and especially in the developed countries where technology has permeated businesses, schools and homes (Kozma, 2005). ICT has affected all forms of demands of modern societies. It has radically changed how people live, work and play (Anderson, 2010). A country can only be part of this development if the education system deliberately focuses on knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare its youth for these changing trends (Anderson, 2010). One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to education is improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring that the set measurable outcomes like literacy, numeracy and life skills are achieved by all (KEMI, 2015). ICT is an important tool in achieving all the goals set in the millennium declaration (RoK, 2008). Consequently ICT is increasingly being introduced in varying degrees at all levels of education from preschool to university, in both formal and informal sectors (Blurton, 1999). Countries have been doing this through equipping schools with ICT infrastructure.In developed countries like the United States, the ratio of students per computer was at 6:1 by 1997 while the number of schools with Internet access had reached 72% in the same year (Briggs, 2013). In Asia, similar developments were taking place. In Japan, by 1997, over 94% of public schools were computer-equipped and 10% were connected to the Internet (Briggs, 2013). In Singapore the results of the country's ICT master plan show great achievement which include students computer ratio of 4:1 in secondary schools (Twinomujuni, 2011). This is a very high ratio given that developing countries, Kenya included, are struggling with ICT implementation. Dzidonu (2010) says that the spread of the use of ICT to support education in most African countries is limited. This is because the student to computer ratio in educational institutions in some of these countries is as low as 20:1 (Dzidonu, 2010). UNESCO initiated a project in Africa, whose aim was to equip a maximum of four teachers training colleges (TTC) in each of twenty countries with a computer and a full access to internet, as well as funding teacher training curriculum development with twenty national educational World Wide Web (WWW) sites (Eicklelmann, 2011). This led to schools embracing a new tasks and duty to provide school going children with equitable opportunities to participate in the technologically growing society. The key strategy to achieve this was through formulation of ICT policy and implementation of the same in schools (Dzidonu, 2010). In Kenya, the government acknowledges that education and training institutions can play a central role in creating a human resource base to enhance science and technology, and thus aid in the development of a knowledge economy (Hooker, et al, 2011). The government recognizes and appreciates that an ICT literate workforce is the foundation on which Kenya can acquire the status of knowledge-based-economy (MoE, 2005). There is a need then to empower learners with ICT literacy in order for the country to have early adopters of ICT.The government of Kenya has been keen to utilize ICT to increase access to education for all Kenyans (EFA) (Makewa, Meremo, Role, & Role, 2013). In March 2004 the e-government strategy was designed and developed through government funding to provide common ICT framework and direction across public schools and all other sectors (MoE, 2006). The policy was intended to enhance collaboration in the development and implementation of ICT within and among government institutions. In line with these strategies the government formulated a national ICT policy. This provided the basis for the Ministry of Education to develop its sector policy on ICT in education. …