Education in Kenya

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Classroom in Athi River,
Kenya

Kenya’s literacy rate is one of the leading in Africa. Historical
records from the travels of Johann Ludwig Krapf
and Johannes Rebmann reveal
that Kenyans had access to education as far back as 1728 with a Swahili manuscript Utendi wa Tambuka,
(the book of Heraclius) attesting to the fact. The CMS missionaries interacted
with locals in the coastal town of Mombasa and set up one of the
earliest mission schools in the country at Rabai in 1846.

With the expansion of the railway from Mombasa to Uganda, the Missionaries expanded
their work into Kenya's interior. An attempt to set up a school and mission at
Yatta in 1894 was resisted by the Kamba tribe. The missionaries then
penetrated into western Kenya and set up schools and various missions. The first
school in western Kenya was established at Kaimosi in 1902. During the colonial
era, the number of Kenyans with exposure to education steadily increased and a
good number of them were privileged to proceed abroad for further education.
Among those who furthered their education abroad in the colonial era were Jomo
Kenyatta, who attended Woodbrooke College
and London School of
Economics, Charles Njonjo, who
attended Grays Inn Law School, Peter Mbiyu
Koinange, who attended Columbia University,
Mwai
Kibaki who attended London School of Economics, R. Mugo Gatheru who attended
Roosevelt
University, Tom Mboya, who attended Ruskin College,
Oxford, Masinde Muliro, who
attended University of Cape
Town, Julius Gikonyo Kiano who attended Stanford University,
Paul Ngei
and Barack Obama Sr., who
attended the University of
Hawaii at Manoa. Julius Gikonyo Kiano was the first Kenyan to obtain a Ph.D.
He returned to Kenya and was instrumental in establishing a school in
Githunguri. The trend steadily rose over the years and by the time of
independence in 1963, 840,000 African children were attending elementary
school.

Contents

1 The earliest schools in
Kenya

2 Pre and Post Colonial
Education

3 Educational
Quality

4 Primary
Education

5 Secondary
Education

6 Vocational Schools and
Colleges

7 University
Education

7.1 Public
Universities

7.2 Private
Universities

7.2.1 Chartered
Universities

7.2.2 Universities with
Letters of Interim Authority (LIA)

7.2.3 Universities
operating with Certificates of
Registration

8 Factors Affecting Education
in Kenya

9 References

10 External
links

[edit]
The earliest schools in
Kenya

1. School at Rabai near Mombasa - established
1846

2. Friends School Kaimosi, now Kaimosi
Friends Primary School, established 1903

3. Maseno School, established
in 1906.

4. Government Indian School or The Duke of Gloucester School, now Jamhuri High School,
established 1906

5. Tumutumu Mission School, now Tumutumu Girls’ High School established in
1908.

6. European Girls' School, now Kenya High School established 1908.

7. Prince of Wales School, now Nairobi School
established 1910.

8. Thogoto School, now Thogoto Teachers’ Training College established
1910.

9. Kaimosi Girls High School, established 1920

10. Kaimosi Boys High School, established 1921

11. Mang'u High School,
established 1925.

12. Alliance School, now Alliance High
School (Kenya) established in 1926.

13. St. Mary's School
Yala, established in 1927.

14. Highlands High School, now Moi Girls' High School - Eldoret established
in 1928.

[edit]
Pre and Post Colonial
Education

Kenya began a campaign for free Primary Education after independence in 1963.
Since then, her system of education has undergone transformation twice. Before
independence elementary education was based on the colonial system of education.
In 1967, Kenya, together with Uganda and Tanzania, formed the East African
Community. The three countries adopted a single system of education, the
7-4-2-3, which consisted of 7 years of primary education, 4 years of secondary
education, 2 years of high school and 3–5 years of university education. Under
the system, which was similar to the British system of education, children began
their elementary (primary) education at the age of 7 and completed at the age of
13 after sitting for a regional examination known as the East African
Certificate of Primary Education - EACPE. After primary education those
who passed very well proceeded to secondary school which ended four years later
with the writing of the East African Certificate of Education examination -
EACE. The highest level of education that qualified one to attend
university was attained after two years of high school at that time distinct
from secondary school with students sitting for the East African Advanced
Certificate of Education - EAACE.

With the collapse of the East African Community in 1977, Kenya continued with
the same system of Education but changed the examination names from their
regional identity to a national identity. The East African Certificate of
Primary Education became the Certificate of Primary education - CPE, the
East African Certificate of Education became the Kenya Certificate of Education
- KCE and the East African Advanced Certificate of Education became the
Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education - KACE. In 1985 President Daniel arap Moi,
introduced the 8-4-4 system of education, which adopted eight years of primary
education, 4 years of secondary education and 4 years of university education.
With the introduction of the 8-4-4 system CPE became KCPE - Kenya
Certificate of Primary Education while KCE became the Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education - KCSE.

Since 1985, public education in Kenya has been based on an 8-4-4 system,[1][2]
with eight years of primary education followed by four years of secondary school
and four years of college or university. Some private schools however, offer a
system of education similar to the British system of education with ordinary
level exams, "O-levels" taken at the end of 4 years of secondary school and
advanced levels "A-levels", taken after two years of high school. Out of all
children in Kenya about 85 percent attend primary school. 75 percent of those
who complete primary education proceed to secondary schools and 60 percent of
those who complete secondary school proceed to higher institutions of education
which include business and vocational institutions, national polytechnics,
public and private universities within the country. Over 950,000 Kenyans have
furthered their education abroad with a majority of graduates from India, UK, Canada, the US, Russia and Uganda.

[edit]
Educational Quality

Educational quality has recently received a lot of attention in Kenya. The
government's main document in this effort, the Kenya Education Sector Support
Programme for 2005–2010, established the National Assessment Centre (NAC) to
monitor learning achievement. In 2010, the NAC released the results of its first
assessment.

In 2009, in collaboration with the NAC, Uwezo Kenya conducted an
assessment of the basic literacy and numeracy skills of children ages 6–16. The
Annual Learning Assessment (ALA) reached villages in 70 out of 158 districts in
Kenya, and assessed nearly 70,000 children in their homes. The ALA was set at a
Standard 2 level, which is the level where students are supposed to have
achieved basic competency in reading English and Kiswahili and completing simple
arithmetic problems. The chart below shows the percent of children who could not
read a Standard 2 level paragraph or solve Standard 2 level subtraction
problems:[3]

Level of Children Assessed

Cannot Read English Paragraph

Cannot Read Swahili Paragraph

Cannot Do Subtraction

Standard 2

85%

81%

79%

Standard 5

27%

23%

30%

Standard 8

4%

4%

10%

Key Facts about education in Kenya, based on the results of the Uwezo
2009 assessment:[4]

Literacy levels are low, and are substantially lower in certain regions.
Girls tend to perform better in reading English and Kiswahili, while boys tend
to perform better in math.

Literacy levels are lower in public schools than private schools.

Most children can solve real world, “ethno-mathematics” problems, while
fewer can solve similar math problems in an abstract, pencil and paper
format.

5% of children are not enrolled in school, but the problem is far worse in
particular regions.

About half of children are enrolled in pre-school.

Many children are older than expected for their class level, including 40%
of children in class 2, and 60% of children in class 7.

North Eastern Province and arid districts in Rift Valley and Eastern
Provinces have particularly low performance; and many older children,
especially girls, are not attending school.

Many families pay for extra tuition, which focuses heavily on drilling and
exam preparation.

Schools struggle to plan their budgets because they receive funds at
unpredictable times.

Children whose mothers are educated, particularly beyond primary school,
tend to have much higher rates of literacy and numeracy.

About 15% of students are absent on a given day, with much higher
absenteeism in certain districts.

There is a severe shortage of teachers, estimated at 4 teachers per
school.

[edit]
Primary Education

Primary education in Kenya begins at the age of 6 or 7 after completion of a
year of kindergarten commonly known as Nursery School or
pre-unit. The first class or year of primary school is known as Standard 1, the
final year as Standard 8 and primary school children are known as pupils. The
school year at both primary and secondary levels, begins in January and ends in
November. Students get 3 school vacations in April, August and December. At the
end of the school year students advance to the next grade. Students who
completely fail their end of year exams usually repeat the class the following
year instead of advancing to a higher grade. Most primary schools are day
schools with pupils living at home. Fewer schools at primary level are boarding
schools compared to secondary schools. All public primary school pupils sit for
the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination at the end of the school
year in Standard eight.[citation
needed]

In January 2003 President Mwai Kibaki re-introduced
free Primary education
which previously existed before the mid 80s when the government adopted cost
sharing measures that led to a minor level of school fees charged by primary
schools for text books, PTA, and extra curricular activities. Since 2003,
education in public schools became free and universal (but not compulsory).[citation
needed]. On learning that primary education had once again become
free in Kenya, Kimani Maruge, a Kenyan
illiterate farmer and the world's oldest person to enroll in primary school
joined Kapkenduiywo primary school in Eldoret at the age of 84. He was
elected head boy at the age of 86 in 2005.[5]

[edit]
Secondary Education

Secondary schools in Kenya fall into three categories - government funded,
harambee and private. Government funded schools are divided into national,
provincial and district levels. Harambee schools do not receive full funding
from the government and private schools are run by private organizations or
individuals. After taking the primary school leaving exam and successfully
passing, government funded schools select students in order of scores. Students
with the highest scores gain admission into national schools while those with
average scores are selected into provincial and district schools. Harambee
schools accept students with low scores. Students who fail examinations either
repeat the final school year or pursue technical training opportunities. A
number of students also drop out of school by choice due to poor scores.

Under the current system, students attend secondary school for four years
before sitting for the school leaving exam at the end of the fourth year. The
first class or year of secondary school is known as form 1 and the final year is
form 4. At the end of the fourth year, from October to November students sit for
the Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education examination. In 2008, the government
introduced plans to offer free Secondary education to all Kenyans.

Private secondary schools in Kenya are generally high cost schools offering
students an alternative system of education with better or more luxurious
facilities compared to public schools. They are often favored for prestige. Most
private schools in Kenya offer the British system of education which includes
“O-levels“ and “A-levels”. Very few offer the American system of education and
good number of them offer the Kenya system. Some of the oldest private schools
in Kenya include Loreto Convent Msongari, Nairobi (1921),St. Mary's
School, Nairobi, Braeburn School, Consolata School, Strathmore School, Oshwal
Academy, Rift Valley Academy,
Aga Khan Academy,
Kenton College and Brookhouse School,

[edit]
Vocational Schools
and Colleges

These are two or three year post secondary school institutions also termed
colleges. They award certificates, diplomas and higher national diplomas in
various disciplines after successful completion of relevant courses. Courses
offered by these institutions include Business Education, Accounting,
Secretarial Studies, Nursing, Teacher Training, Computer Studies, Journalism,
Media, Design, Culinary Studies, Foreign Languages, Tourism and Technical
Skills. In order of credibility or accreditation, national polytechnics rank
first, followed by government training institutes, teacher training colleges and
private institutions. Although generally termed colleges, these institution do
not award degrees. Degrees are only awarded by universities

[edit]
University Education

There are 30 universities in Kenya, 7 of which are public and 23 private. The
7 public universities have a total of 12 constituent colleges, The University of
Nairobi is the oldest university in Kenya.

[edit]
Public Universities

1. University of
Nairobi

Kenya Polytechnic University College - a constituent college of the
University of Nairobi.

South Eastern University College - a constituent college of the University
of Nairobi.

2. Kenyatta University
- KU

Pwani University College- Kilifi - a constituent college of Kenyatta
University.

Mombasa Polytechnic University College - a constituent college of Kenyatta
University.

3. Moi University,

Narok University College- Narok - a constituent college of Moi
University.

Kabianga University College - a constituent college of Moi
University.

4. Egerton
University

Kisii University College - a constituent college of Egerton
University.

Chuka University College - a constituent college of Egerton
University.

Laikipia University College - a constituent college of Egerton
University.

5. Jomo
Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology - JKUAT

Multimedia University College of Kenya - a constituent college of
JKUAT.

Meru University College of Science and Technology - a constituent college
of JKUAT.

Kimathi University College of Technology - a constituent college of
JKUAT.

6. Maseno University

Bondo University College - a constituent college of Maseno
University.

7. Masinde
Muliro University of Science and Technology.

[edit]
Private Universities

There are 3 categories of private universities: 1. Chartered Universities -
fully accredited universities, by the Commission for Higher Education, 2.
Universities, which had been offering degrees long before the establishment of
the Commission for Higher Education and 3. Universities authorised to operate
with Letters of Interim Authority (LIA)

[edit]
Chartered
Universities

1. Alliant
International University or United States International University -
USIU.

2. Catholic
University of Eastern Africa - CUEA.

3. Daystar
University.

4. Kabarak
University.

5. Strathmore
University.

6. University
of Eastern Africa, Baraton.

7. Africa Nazarene
University.

8. St.
Paul’s University.

9. Kenya Methodist
University.

10. The
Pan Africa Christian University.

11. Scott
Theological College.

[edit]
Universities with Letters of Interim Authority
(LIA)

1. Aga Khan
University.

2. Great
Lakes University of Kisumu.

3. Kiriri
Women's University of Science and Technology.

4. The
Presbyterian University of East Africa.

5. Adventist
University of Africa.

6. Mt Kenya
University.

7. KCA University.

8. Gretsa University.

[edit]
Universities operating with Certificates of
Registration

1. The
Nairobi International School of Theology.

2. Western College of Hospitality and Professional Studies.

2. The
East Africa School of Theology.

3. The
Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology

4. Kenya
Highlands Bible College.

[edit]
Factors
Affecting Education in Kenya

In 1963 the Kenyan government promised free primary education to its
citizens. In the early 70s primary school fees were abolished but in the mid 80s
cost sharing measures between the government and its citizens led to the
re-introduction of minor fee charges by primary schools. As the trend continued
with schools requiring parents to pay fees such as PTA, harambee, textbooks,
uniforms, caution fees, exam fees and extra curricular activity fees, most
parents became overburdened and unable to raise such fees. Those who could not
afford the money to pay for their childrens' school fees often had their
children drop out of the school. Many children were also forced to drop out of
school when teachers would not allow them to take exams. To pressurize parents
to pay fees, schools often sent children home during the final exams.

Teachers strike often due to
irregular payment of their wages which affects children's performance in
schools.[citation
needed]. With free primary education, school attendance has
increased as has the shortage of teachers and classrooms. The result has been an
overcrowding of students in classrooms.

Along with shortage in teachers in many schools, the current 8-4-4 system has
received criticism from many because of the heavy workload it places on students
and staff alike. Teachers report that pupils need to be given extra tuition in
the evenings, over weekends and holidays, because the broad syllabus cannot be
completed within stipulated time frames. Others are also concerned that the
system puts heavy pressure on students leading to stress that causes many to
drop out or resort to drugs. Despite this, the current system has been defended
by some saying that students are able to compete and out-perform on a global
level because they are used to working hard in school.

The growth of Kenya's education sector has exceeded expectations. After the
first university was established in 1970, six other public universities and 23
private universities have been established. Although Kenya has its own
universities, some parents prefer to send their children to Universities outside
the country. This is largely because Kenyan public universities are not as
flexible with admission requirements as some foreign universities.

[edit]
References

http://www.che.or.ke/status.html

http://www.create-rpc.org/pdf_documents/PTA9.pdf

Kenya
National Examination Council

List
of universities and colleges in Kenya.

List of schools
in Kenya

^
Ferre, Celine (February 2009). Age at First Child: Does Education Delay Fertility Timing? The
Case of Kenya. Policy Research Working Paper. World Bank. http://library1.nida.ac.th/worldbankf/fulltext/wps04833.pdf.

^
Eshiwani, G.S. (1990). Implementing Educational Policies in Kenya. Africa
Technical Department Series Discussion Paper. World Bank. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2000/01/11/000178830_98101903573855/Rendered/PDF/multi_page.pdf.

^ http://uwezo.net/index.php?c=67

^ http://uwezo.net/index.php?i=68

^ The Standard – World’s oldest pupil, Stephen Maruge, dies
August 15, 2009

[edit]
External links

Ministry of Education website

The
Kenya High Commission

Education Statistics and Quality of Education in Kenya,
Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality
(SACMEQ)

Education Links in Kenya

Private Schools in Kenya

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html

Commission
of Higher Education - Kenya

E-Government, Education

Kenyan Education Websites

Kenyan Colleges and Universities

Enlisting all private schools in Kenya

Information on Education and Schools in Kenya

Kenya Education Guide

v • d • e

Education in Africa

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States
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Dependencies,
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1 Transcontinental
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Kenya"

Categories: Education in
Kenya

Hidden categories: All
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