@dev_progress

BEYOND BASICS
The growth of post-primary education in Kenya
Okwach Abagi
Director, OWN & Associates, Kenya
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

Outline
1.
Kenya context
2.
The growth of post-primary education in Kenya
3.
Factors enabled enrollment improvements
4.
Challenges ahead
5.
Lessons learnt
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

Kenya Context
• Kenya, an East African country:
Development, Business, ICT and Education Hub
• Three enemies at Independence in 1963:
– Poverty
– Ignorance
– Disease
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

Kenya experienced a significant rise in school life expectancy
– from 8.4 years in 2000 to 11 years in 2009
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary (years)
@dev_progress
Source: UNESCO developmentprogress.org

The secondary enrolment rates increased by 50% in 10 years – from 40% in early 2000s up to 60% in 2009
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary
@dev_progress
Source: UNESCO developmentprogress.org

Access to higher education has increased, though still well below the sub-Saharan
Gross enrolment ratio, tertiary
@dev_progress
Source: UNESCO developmentprogress.org

Increase in gender parity in enrolment rates since the 1970s with more recent setbacks
Gender parity index
@dev_progress
Source: UNESCO developmentprogress.org

• Increasing call and demand for higher levels of education by the public: education → job → investment → quality of life → development
• Strong political will and commitment to education beyond only the basic levels: responsive policies, strategies, leadership, mobilization, and resources, (Education as a platform for election campaigns e.g. 2002, 2007and 2013
General Elections)
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

• Significant domestic and international resources targeted at education programme (e.g. Kenya Education Sector
Support Programme (KESSP) 2005/06-2009/10) with elements of these supporting post-primary levels
• Communities and the private sector: aggressive and proactive in investing and increasing education opportunities at the secondary and tertiary level
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

• Addressing entrenched inequality (regional, economic, and gender) across the system
• Maintaining and sustaining the gains in access and participation in post-primary education, under increased poverty, depressed economic growth and increased insecurity
(e.g. in ASAL and Coastal Counties).
• Mobilizing additional resources for education (e.g. County government making investment in quality education a priority).
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

• Quality (and even relevance) at all levels of Kenya’s education system is a major challenge (limited resources, teachers, commitment, poor pedagogy etc.)
• Unemployment of schooled graduates, influencing young people’s attitudes towards education
• Financial constraints and sustainability: huge resources needed for infrastructure, teaching-learning materials, teachers, quality assurance, capitation grants, university students loans, equipment's etc. → But limited resources exist
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

• Commissions and task forces in education: involving the public but also shifting the public attention from challenges in education.
• Enabling environment for investment and resource mobilization: increase in the number of schools and classrooms (Public, Community, Private, and Religious based investing): Primary to Universities.
• Research for policy: informing the public and creating pressure on the
Government (the role of researchers, policy analysts & the media);
• Public interest, demand and push for education: competition in the job market. But not in ASAL regions.
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

• Political will and commitment being a great driving force
• Lowering households’ burden for education to increase access to secondary and university education
• Community (and household) action, demanding and investing in postprimary education.
• Balancing expansion to access to education (educational opportunities) with quality and relevance programmes. GoK and other stakeholders have just realized that this issue is important (core focus of researchers and MoE Sector Plan)
@dev_progress
But above all:
Focus! Target! Focus! And Target.
developmentprogress.org

Thank you for your attention
Okwach Abagi (PhD)
Director, Policy, Capacity Building & M& E Specialist
OWN & Associates Ltd, Nairobi KENYA.
Email: abagiown@gmail.com
@dev_progress developmentprogress.org

@dev_progress
Development Progress exploring what works and why developmentprogress.org