Kenya is one of the few countries in Africa that has implemented free and compulsory basic education for all children. This policy, which was introduced in 2003 for primary education and in 2017 for secondary education, has resulted in significant increases in enrolment, retention, and learning outcomes. However, it has also posed some major challenges for the education system, such as financing, quality, equity, and management. In this blog post, I will discuss some of the achievements and difficulties of providing free education in Kenya, and suggest some possible ways to address them.

Achievements of free education in Kenya

According to the World Bank, Kenya is a top education performer in Eastern and Southern Africa, with near-universal access to primary education and over 70% enrolment in secondary education. The free education policy has contributed to this success by removing school fees and levies that were a barrier for many poor and vulnerable families. The government and development partners have also invested in providing textbooks, instructional materials, teacher training, and school infrastructure to support the policy. As a result, more children, especially girls and those from marginalized communities have been able to access and complete basic education.

The free education policy has also improved the quality of learning in Kenya. The government has introduced a competency-based curriculum (CBC) that aims to equip learners with relevant skills and values for the 21st century. The CBC emphasizes learner-centered pedagogy, formative assessment, and holistic development. The government has also reformed teacher development by establishing a teacher performance appraisal system, a teacher professional development framework, and a teacher service commission. These initiatives have enhanced teacher accountability, motivation, and professionalism.

Challenges of free education in Kenya

Despite these achievements, free education in Kenya still faces some serious challenges that need to be addressed urgently. One of the main challenges is financing. The cost of providing free education is high and increasing as more children enroll and progress to higher levels. The government allocates about 20% of its budget to education, but this is still insufficient to meet the demand for quality services. The gap is partly filled by development partners, who provide about 10% of the education budget. However, this external support is unpredictable and may decline over time. Moreover, some schools still charge parents for non-tuition expenses, such as uniforms, transport, and meals, which can be prohibitive for some households.

Another challenge is quality. Although learning outcomes have improved over time, they are still low compared to regional and international standards. According to the 2019 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Kenya ranked 72nd out of 79 countries in reading, mathematics and science. The quality of education is affected by several factors, such as large class sizes, inadequate teaching materials, insufficient teacher training and supervision, poor infrastructure and sanitation facilities, and low parental involvement. Furthermore, the implementation of the CBC faces some challenges, such as a lack of awareness among stakeholders, resistance from some teachers and parents, and inadequate assessment tools.

A third challenge is equity. Despite the increase in enrolment, some children still face barriers to accessing and completing basic education. These include children with disabilities, refugees, orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), children from pastoralist communities, urban informal settlements, and arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). These children often face discrimination, violence, exploitation, and abuse that affect their participation and performance in school. They also lack adequate support services, such as special needs education (SNE), school feeding programs (SFPs), bursaries, and scholarships.

A fourth challenge is management. The free education policy requires effective coordination and collaboration among various actors at different levels of the system. These include the Ministry of Education (MoE), county governments, sub-county education offices (SCEOs), school boards of management (BoMs), head teachers, teachers, parents, and communities. However, there are some gaps and overlaps in roles and responsibilities among these actors that affect the efficiency and accountability of service delivery. There are also issues of corruption, mismanagement, and politicization that undermine the credibility and sustainability of the policy.

Way forward

To address these challenges and ensure that free education in Kenya achieves its intended goals, I propose the following recommendations:

• Increase domestic revenue mobilization for education by expanding the tax base,
  improving tax administration and compliance,
  and reducing tax evasion and avoidance.
• Prioritize spending on quality inputs and outputs,
  such as teacher salaries,
  textbooks,
  infrastructure,
  and learning assessment.
• Strengthen public