Comparative education

DR BEATRICE NDIGA

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN AFRICA

Secondary education
public secondary schools have failed in
their calling as the crucial stage
preparatory to entering higher
institutions.
Cause of the failure is partly,
underfunding of education.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA

Universities and other

tertiary institutions
The problem in this sector is
reflected in the low quality of
graduates.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Low number of qualified teaching staff ie.
Professors Also there is shortfall in the
academic staff of public Colleges of
Education

Poor infrastructure adversely affects

teaching, research, learning and students
health and safety.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Underfunding, Commercialization and Fee
Hike
states are underfunding education thereby
creating myriad of infrastructural decay and poor
The existence and increasing numbers of private
schools at primary, secondary and tertiary levels
is a continuous sign and evidence of the
unresolved problems of public education.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Infrastructural repair and development
An urgent repair of critical infrastructure is needed at
all levels of the education sector. This would mean
providing latest facilities for learning based on latest
technological advancement.
For instance, information technology devices are now
being used for primary and post-primary education
and a serious programme of revamping education
must take into cognizance these advancements.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Inadequate budgetary resources
There are no adequate resources to meet current
and emerging priorities:
Public funding to higher education has also been
declining overtime.
A lot of pressure is being put on the existing old
facilities in public universities resulting into poor
quality of service delivery

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Capacity gaps in education
teaching methods are old fashioned and books
are not only inadequate but those that are
available are not always used effectively. For
example at primary and sometimes secondary
levels many students leave school without
having mastered required levels of literacy and
numeracy.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Social and cultural practices
Attitudes and perceptions affect the performance
of the sector.
Although the cost factor appears to be the most
important for boys, girls drop out of school due
to teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment and
early marriages while for boys indifference to
education is a key factor.

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA

In addition, a significant number of

girls help with household chores.
There is limited access to education
for marginalized groups including
children with disabilities and those in
post conflict areas

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
Inadequate physical infrastructure
The schools lack scholastic materials, classroom
blocks, water and sanitation, and power supply
Inadequate sports facilities and
equipment.
The schools do not have the resources to buy the
sports equipment and maintain playing grounds

CHALLENGES FACING EDUCATION IN

AFRICA
There has been a remarkable change in the sector
over the past years, especially since the inception
of the Universal Education Programmes and
liberalization of the sector.
More schools, institutions, colleges and
universities have been established by the private
sector; and enrolments in all these institutions
have exponentially increased. The private sector
participation in the education.

Education system Kenya

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF
FORMAL EDUCATION
when formal education was introduced in Kenya
during the British colonial era, ideological
conflicts arose because this was a western-style
education, provided mainly by the missionaries
with the cooperation of the colonial government.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL EDUCATION

In 1963, the country gained independence and a

commission was set up to make changes in the
formal educational system. The focus of the
commission was to build a national identity and
to unify the different ethnicities through subjects
in school such as history and civics, and civic
education for the masses

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL

EDUCATION
Between 1964 and 1985, the 7-4-2-3 education
structure modeled after the British education
system was adopted. The system was designed to
provide seven years of primary education, four
years of lower secondary education, two years of
upper secondary education, and three years of
university

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL

EDUCATION
At independence there were fewer than 900 000
Kenyan children attending primary school but
by 1992, the number had grown to 5.53 million
(UNESCO, 2008c). At independence there were
6056 primary schools and 891 000 students
enrolled in school.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF FORMAL

EDUCATION
By 1990, there were over 14 690 primary
schools, about five million students, and 200
000 trained teachers. The teacher/student ratio
in 1991 and 1992 was reported to be 1:31.
Further, proportion of girls in school had grown
to about 50% (UNESCO, 2008). Despite a high
attrition rate in secondary school, enrolments at
this level have steadily been growing.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATION

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The Ministry of Education, Science and

Technology (MoEST) is responsible for
providing education to its citizens (Ministry of
Education, 2008). The ministrys tasks include
distribution of learning resources and
implementation of education policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The education sector takes up about 30% of the
governments annual expenditure accounting for
the largest share of the annual budget.
However, much of the expenditure goes toward
higher education and teacher training.
University education falls under the Ministry of
Education, Science, and Technology

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
MoEST is responsible for several sectors in
education including:
1) Early Childhood Development and PrePrimary Education;
2) Primary Education;
3) Special Needs Education;

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
4) Secondary Education;
5) Teacher Education (Primary Teacher
Education, Diploma Teacher Education, and InService Training Program);
6) University Education;
7) Non-Formal Education and Adult Education;
and
8) Technical and Vocational Education and
Training.

SEMI-AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY

The Kenya Institute of Education

(KIE), a semi-autonomous
governmental agency, is responsible
for educational research and
development of the curriculum.

SEMI-AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY

KIE is focused on providing quality,

relevant and affordable educational and
training programs in response to a
changing social, economic and
technological environment.
The initiatives are met through continual
research, evaluation, assessment and the
monitoring processes (Kenya Institute of

SEMI-AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY

Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC),
the examining body responsible for developing
and assessing national exams at various levels of
learning including the Kenya Certificate of
Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)
(Kenya National Examination Council, 2008).

SEMI-AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is
responsible for teacher recruitment, human
resources services, and place of government
employed teachers (Ministry of Education,
2008) recently became independent.
KISE

The 8-4-4 System of Education

In 1981, a Presidential Working Party (McKay
Report) was commissioned to examine
curriculum reform of the entire education
system in the country. The committee submitted
a recommendation to change the 7-4-2-3
education system to the current 8-4-4 system of
education, whose overall structure was similar to
the U.S. education system.

The 8-4-4 System of Education

The 8-4-4 system was launched in January 1985,
and was designed to provide eight years of
primary education, four years of secondary, and
four years of university education. Emphasis was
placed on Mathematics, English, and vocational
subjects.

The 8-4-4 System of Education

The focus on vocational education was aimed at
preparing students who would not continue on
with secondary education, those who would be
self-employed, and those who would be seeking
employment in the non-formal sector ("Ministry
of Education," n.d.).

The 8-4-4 System of Education

Prior to joining primary school, children between the
ages of three and six are required to attend pre-primary
(pre-unit) for one or two years.
The main objective of pre-primary education is to cater
to the total development of a child, including the
physical, spiritual, social, and mental growth, brought
about through formal and informal interaction with the
parents and the community taking a leading role. A
focus of pre-primary education has been health,
nutrition, care, and basic

The 8-4-4 System of Education

Introduction of Free Primary Education

In the 1990s basic education went through

various reforms but the unconducive political
and economic conditions at the time were unable
to support its growth.
Having to depend on limited resources and
donor funding, the government experienced
difficulties maintaining educational standards.

The 8-4-4 System of Education

Introduction of Free Primary Education

Subsequently the quality of education deteriorated

and there was an increase in the numbers of schoolage children who were not receiving formal education.
Figures for instance show that massive school
dropouts were recorded and that out of about one
million students who enrolled in standard one in 1993
and in 1998, less than half a million got to standard
eight (Oketch and Rolleston, 2007; Onyango, 2003).

Development of the Kenyan education

system
Old System = 7-4-2-3
Established in 1963 after gaining independence. The
education structure was modelled after the British education
system.
This was designed to provide seven years of primary
education, four years of lower secondary education, two years
of upper secondary education and three years of University.
The country was in immediate need for skilled workers to
hold positions previously held by the British.

Development of the Kenyan education

system
Current System = 8-4-4
Launched in 1985, the current education system uses a
structure similar to the U.S. education system. Designed
to provide eight years of primary education, four years
of secondary education and four years of University.
Emphasis was placed on Mathematics, English and
vocational subjects. Vocational education was aimed at
preparing students who would not continue on with
secondary education.

Development of the Kenyan education

system
Potential System = 2-6-3-3-3
The new changes should begin in September
2013 (if all goes according to plan). In a major
departure from the current system, the
proposals provide for specialisation at senior
secondary education level.

Development of the Kenyan education

system
In the new structure, a child will take two years in
pre-school, six in primary education, three in
junior secondary education, three in senior
secondary education and three at University.
The new system should focus on child
development, skills and competencies to be learn
and ultimate outcome at each level from early
childhood care and development to University
level.

the Kenyan education system

Pre-Primary Education
Before joining primary school, children aged between three
and six are required to attend pre-primary for one or two
years.
The main objective is to cater to the total development of a
child, including the physical, spiritual, social and mental
growth, brought about through formal and informal
interaction with the parents and the community.
Areas of concentration have been health, nutrition, care and
basic education.