Determining School Optimal Size and Internal Efficiency in Secondary School a Case of Public Secondary School in Tirap Division Marakwet District

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal school size that enhances internal efficiency in operation of secondary schools in Tirap division. The study was also aimed at determining the minimum school enrollment beyond which the unit cost of education increases and below which it is fiscally uneconomical to operate it. The study was to provide important information to educational planners and policy makers to determine the optimal size of secondary schools. Both theatrical and conceptual frame work was used in the study. A theoretical frame work of a cost functional in education was used. In order to determine the optimal school size of the equation X1=a+bx2+cx22 was used. A conceptual frame work th8t showed how optimal school size was determined through appropriate combination of school inputs. Literature related to the study was reviewed. It was studied under the school size. A research design was descriptive. Data for this study was collected from the population of four secondary schools in the division. The four schools were sampled out for the study. A pre-test of the research instrument used was done to attest its validity and reliability. The research instrument used was a questionnaire which was completed by the principals for the four sampled schools. The findings of this study revealed that the school optimal size in Tirap division is one 174 students. In the view of this finding, it is recommended that school managers should put in mind the school optimal size while planning for education.