EDUCATION AND KENYA’S DEVELOPMENT: ARE WE MAKING PROGRESS?

Education is a human right. The Constitution provides for it in Article 43 as a socio-economic right and more importantly in Article 53 where free and compulsory basic education is an immediately realizable right for every child in Kenya.

The Constitution which reflects the aspirations of Kenyans in letter and spirit envisages education as playing a very important role in our society. Kenya’s Vision 2030 – our development blue print, has gone a step further according education its rightful status as a foundation for national transformation. The Medium term plans which implement this blue print are therefore important for monitoring and evaluating progresses made towards observing, respecting, protecting, promoting and fulfilling this very important right. The state cites that an achievement of the first Medium Term Plan (MTP 1) was that the transition rate from primary to secondary education increased from64.1 % in 2008 to 73.3 % in 2011 - progress worth noting and appreciating.

It is however important to examine the whole sector to ensure that the progresses are universal and that no part of the country remains unchanged as far as education is concerned.

Worth noting is that for the first time in Kenya’s history there is real public discussion on what ails the education sector. The Jubilee Government’s laptop project election pledge though largely – and rightfully criticized, importantly sparked real discussion on what aspects of Kenya’s education sector are in “intensive care”.

Teacher absenteeism in public schools is said to be a staggering 30 percent according to a USAID report - major concern. This adds to the deficits in the number of teachers needed across the country. Lack of schools,and classrooms that are in deplorable – hazardous conditions is a feature of many public schools. Recently, the Ministry of Education drafted regulations that among other things propose creation of public schools only in areas where none existed and merging of schools where there is a low learner enrollment rate. The Basic Education Act requires the Cabinet Secretary to come up with and promulgate standards and norms on what a school should look like and should have. This has not been done. In the meantime schools continue to sprout that hardly meet the minimum requirements seen in other parts of the world.

Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have seen an increase in the number of private schools. These fill an important gap where public schools lack or where the standards in these schools are alarmingly low. Recently, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) put the governments of Morocco and Ghana to task over the increased privatization of education leading to a proliferation of so-called academies. The Committee is concerned over the negative consequences of the States’ abdication of the responsibility of being the primary providers of education. These countries have a year to respond to these concerns. Kenya is likely to be put on the spot soon. These academies have unqualified underpaid teachers, occupy tiny residential buildings and charge parents a lot of money.

Devolution has also introduced a different kind of debate as far as education is concerned. Early Childhood Education(ECD) has long been neglected. These lacked teachers – properly trained, and facilities. The formative years of a child’s development are critical. It is unfortunate that the government has invested so little in ECDs. It is now a devolved function alongside the so-called village polytechnics (TVETS). There is already debate about who should be in charge of hiring teachers to these institutions. The debate completely digresses from the reason why it was seen as important to invest in ECDs – our children continue to receive substandard services.

Courts too have weighed in on the discussion on issues affecting the education sector. They have handled cases touching on government obligations toward children in private schools, accountability at national, county and school level, education and religion, single sex schools and high school fees. While the progresses are small, the courts have importantly recognized education as a human right and urged government to take deliberate, clear and specific measures to realise this right.

The task-force on school fees report recently handed to the President recommends among other things the elimination of measures that discriminate against the poor especially unnecessary levies, ranking of schools and inequitable system of admission to secondary and university education. The report sets 2015 for the roll out of free secondary school education.

Indeed progress has been made. Kenyans need to be concerned about access to education for their children and the quality of education offered at these institutions. Mud schools, schools under trees, schools where children walk three kilometers and have to swim through crocodile infested waters, schools without textbooks, absentee teachers, sexual offenders who continue to teach, teachers strikes during examination, primary schools that charge fees despite there being Free Primary Education (FPE), and Secondary Schools whose fees are so high they inhibit access by bright deserving learners ought to be a thing of the past. 

Only if this happens can we then say that we appreciate the role of education as a foundation to the pillars that support Kenya’s development to middle-income status.

This piece was read as a panel presentation during a breakfast meeting hosted by EACHRights to take stock of the state of education in Kenya.