manpower development
Background: The need for manpower development and the benefits of education has led Kenya to invest heavily in Education. By 2002, only 25.6% of the students who qualified for admission were admitted to the public universities and colleges. To increase access to university and college education, Sessional paper number I of 2005 de-linked management of students’ accommodation and catering from the academic programmes. In line with the government policy, the admission offer at the Kenya Medical Training College does not guarantee accommodation of students in the college hostels. Students interested to be accommodated in the college halls of residence must apply for consideration for the few available spaces for rental in the college hostels. It is on this basis that this research investigated on how the withdrawal of accommodation has impacted on the academic performance of students.
Methods: The study used a descriptive survey design and a sample size of 306 was used calculated using Fisher et al, (1998) formula. The study targeted KMTC students in 8 campuses chosen randomly from the 71 KMTC campuses. A self-administered questionnaire was the tool used for data collection. The information (data) were collated, analyzed and presented through the use of Statistical Package for Social Science Version 21.
Results: The study results revealed that the academic performance was higher for students living on-campus than for those living off-campus. Furthermore there was a significant association between time taken by students on on-campus accommodation and those on off campus on time spent doing academic work.
Conclusion: academic performance was higher for students living on-campus than for those living off-campus. Furthermore there was a significant difference between time taken by students on on-campus accommodation and those on off campus to do academic work.
Keywords: on-campus, off-campus, students, housing, academic performance, KMTC.