We’ve come a long way but serious challenges still abound

Kenya has placed considerable importance on the role of education in promoting economic, political and social development since independence.

As a result, there has been a rapid expansion of the education system, especially at the secondary and tertiary levels to provide qualified personnel to man its growing economic and administrative institutions.

The Government, parents, NGOs, the private sector and donors have invested large amounts of resources in the education sector.

Today, Kenya can boast of having the most robust education system in the region if the quantitative expansion of access to basic and higher education is anything to go by. 

It is the largest education system in East Africa, with more than 28,000 primary and 7,000 secondary schools, more than 60 universities and constituent colleges.

REGIONAL HUB

In short, Kenya is a regional hub for education and training.

The milestones experienced in the education sector are largely attributed to the implementation of recommendations of various commissions, committees and taskforces on education and training.

These include the Education Commission report of 1964 (Ominde Commission), which sought to decolonize inherited education system from colonial government to make it more responsive to an independent Kenya’s economic and social needs.

The National Committee on Educational Objectives and Policies (NCEOP) of 1975 (The Gachathi Report) focused on relevance or quality of education and attempted to refocus the goals and objectives of education in the light of the challenges posed by the rapid expansion of education system following independence.

MACKAY REPORT

The 1981 Report of the Presidential Working Party on the Second University in Kenya (Mackay Report) led to the establishment of the second public university and also the establishment of the 8-4-4 system of education.

The Report of the Presidential Working Party on Education and Manpower Training for the Next Decade and Beyond (The Kamunge Report) of 1988 focused on improving on education financing by introducing cost-sharing between government, parents and communities.

The Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2005 on education, training and research, led to education reforms through a Sector Wide Approach to Planning (SWAP). And of course in the TaskForce on the Re-alignment of the Education Sector to the Constitution of Kenya 2010 (The Odhiambo Report) led to the Sessional Paper No, 14 of 2012 – Reforming Education and Training Sectors in Kenya.

RIGHT OF EVERY KENYAN

The Constitution of Kenya (2010) Articles 43 (1)(f) and 55(a) makes education a right of every Kenyan.

In the last 50 years, the expansion of educational opportunities has been phenomenon.

Enrolment at primary school level has grown from 892,000 pupils in 1963 to about 9.5 million at present.

In secondary schools, from 30,000 in 1963 to over 1.8 million currently. 

The increase in school participation across the country is attributed to policies such as the Free Primary Education (FPE) and Free Day Secondary Education (FSDE) programmes implemented in 2003 and 2008 respectively.

The enrolment at Technical and Vocational Education and Trainging (TVET) institutions is at over 83,000, while enrolment into universities stands at about 200,000 currently.

HARAMBEE SCHOOLS

In many areas, especially, where opportunities for secondary education were poor, communities mobilised to raise funds and started harambee (community) secondary schools. This commitment has continued to date, with positive results.

The legal reforms in the education sector are also a major milestone.

For example, the Education Act 2012 sought to align education to Vision 2030 and the Constitution, especially the right to education for all Kenyans, the children’s right to free and compulsory education and the devolved structure of governance.

In terms of education management, the sector is to be transformed from a centralised to a devolved system with inclusive participation of parents and communities.

If effectively and efficiently implemented, the education system will have the National Education Board to advise the Cabinet Secretary, the departments of education, and other structures on promoting standards in basic education and training.

Another structure is the County Education Boards which are meant to coordinate education programmes at the county level.

The Parents Teacher Associations, the Teachers Service Commissions, the Kenya National Examination Council and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development are all set to be reformed and made more responsive and effective.

LAST 50 YEARS

In the last 50 years, we celebrate the fact that we have managed to lay good and a solid foundation for the expansion of education and training opportunities, but also for the growth and sustainability of the education system.

But here is where our celebration ends.

As we celebrate 50 years of independence, the education sector is facing major challenges and gaps.

Available evidence from the Ministry of Education, researchers and practitioners indicates that our education system faces the “whole system” challenges. 

These challenges include:

There are almost two million school-age children who are currently out of school.

And are not able to access quality basic education for all; which is their constitutional right.

The quality of basic and even higher education is very low compared to other countries with the same or lower GDP per capita as Kenya. 

RESOURCES

The available teaching-learning resources (books) are not enough and promote rote learning.

In the last 10 years, about 200,000 young Kenyans are pushed out of the education system and terminate their learning at primary school level. In five years, the number joins the illiterate group.

Our education system lacks about 100,000 teachers to effectively and efficiently manage our schools and teaching-learning processes.

The teacher-pupil ratio at primary school is about 1:80 instead of the required 1:40 in a developing country like Kenya.

Many public schools have limited infrastructure (e.g. classrooms and water/sanitation).

If they exist they are dilapidated and not conducive for effective learning.

In 2013, pupils still learn under trees or sit on stones in some counties in Kenya.

Most teachers are demotivated and remain in the classrooms just because there is no better alternative.

Their salaries and working conditions are low compared to others in other employment.

HUNGRY CHILDREN

There are millions of hungry and angry school-going children in ASAL regions and urban slums that need health, shelter and education support.

What fails our education system is not lack of finances and qualified human resources.

But, our continued failure to invest available resources strategically and where they are needed most.

Kenya’s education sector has failed to compete internationally because of the following four factors.
One, despite several policy commissions and task forces, the education policy reforms in Kenya have largely remained politically driven.

In 2002, it was Free Primary Education – a political campaign for NARC and now it is the introduction of laptops for pupils joining Standard One in 2013 for Jubilee leaders.

We have systematically failed to apply research-based policy formulation, changes and implementation in the sector.

Two, we have failed to set up a comprehensive and robust Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) from national to school level to provide comprehensive real time data that could be used for decision making and planning.

No wonder we tend to be ad hoc or go by the political wave and not really practical need based on technical policy analysis and needs assessment.

IMPACT STUDIES

Three, we have failed to conduct comprehensive impact studies on the education interventions in which we have invested a lot of public and donor resources.

For example, the impact of FPE and the MoE bursary programmes. 

Findings of such studies could have informed the much-talked-about laptop programme.

Four, we have failed to put teachers at the core of education growth and improvement of education standards across sub-sectors.

Education is still regarded as semi-professional and attracts people with low grades compared to other professionals.

Besides, teachers’ salaries and allowances are comparatively low compared to those in engineering, medical and judicial sectors.

Kenya’s poor quality of education and high wastage is worse or comparable with less endowed countries in Africa such as Cape Verde, Rwanda, Mali, Senegal and Malawi.

EAST ASIA
East Asian countries like Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia have often been cited as successful case of human capital development and fast economic development. 

In the 70s, social infrastructure, including schools, in these countries were in the same stage as those in Kenya.

However, because of political will and good policy choices these countries have been able to accomplish 100 per cent coverage in primary and secondary education.

Besides, they have tertiary (higher) education sector that is large and competitive as those in developed countries.

If we are to build on the achievements we have made in the last five years, we should avoid implementing education programmes without proper evidence of policy analysis. 

This is the surest way of avoiding wastage of resources. 

Okwach Abagi is Director and policy analyst Centre for Research & Development.  ([email protected]).