Stakeholders' collaboration: A determinant of a school's compliance with safety standards

Abstract

Learner safety is fundamental to quality education, as secure school environments promote effective teaching and learning. However, recurring school tragedies continue to raise concerns about compliance with safety standards. This study examined the influence of Board of Management (BoM) collaboration with stakeholders on compliance with safety standards in public boarding secondary schools in Embu County, Kenya. Guided by the pragmatic research philosophy, the study adopted a convergent mixed-methods design targeting 64 public boarding secondary schools across five sub-counties. Stratified sampling was used to select 55 schools, while purposive sampling identified 275 Heads of Departments and five Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officers. The study involved 445 respondents, including BoM chairpersons, Parents Association chairpersons, BoM secretaries, and education officials. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observation schedules. Instrument validity was established through expert judgement, while Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.887 and 0.965 confirmed high reliability. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Findings revealed a strong positive correlation between stakeholder collaboration and compliance with school safety standards, indicating that effective partnerships contribute significantly to safer learning environments. The study concludes that stakeholder collaboration is essential for strengthening institutional safety management and regulatory compliance. It recommends that school boards establish and sustain functional partnerships with parents, government agencies, and safety organizations to mobilize financial resources, enhance safety training, and improve access to essential safety services in public boarding secondary schools.