By Petra from Sparkley.eu www.sparkley.eu
How has the quality of education in Kenya changed since 2003? Why isn’t it working?
When free primary education became available in 2003, Kenyan schools were unprepared for the huge student influx. Between 2003 and 2012, the number of students attending Kenyan primary schools increased by more than 3 million. 7,000 primary schools were added nationwide. However, the facilities, staffing and supplies were far from sufficient to accommodate all interested students.
Since 2012, the pupil-teacher ratio has steadily increased. By 2015, World Bank data revealed a ratio of 31 students per teacher. But according to a 2015 BBC report, classroom size was vastly underreported. One Nairobi school, the Olympic Primary School admitted that some classes have as many as 120 pupils in one room, handled by one teacher.
Moreover, it is reported that more than half of the teachers in public schools do not attend classes, with 15% of teachers not coming to school at all and 45% teachers being present at school, but in fact not teaching. In 2021, the Kenyan Teachers Service Commission reported a teacher shortage of 104,000 instructors – over 46,000 at the primary school level and close to 58,000 in post-primary schools.
This situation is tragic. Children hoping to overcome poverty through education find themselves in schools where the number of teachers is not sufficient. Teachers are overloaded and report “burn out” within a few short years. So, understaffed schools find themselves not only short-staffed but also with many absent teachers, forcing class sizes to balloon beyond management.
Therefore, Kenyans with the financial means enroll their children in private schools where they are guaranteed a quality education. Private school fees range from around $6,000 to $27,000 annually. Two thirds of Kenya’s population live on less than $2 per day. Therefore, access to education by low-income families is an impossibility. As the world develops and becomes increasingly connected and computerized, low-income children, fall further and further behind.
In Nyamboyo Village, a rural area of Kenya where most of our students live without basic modern necessities such as electricity and running water, the problem is more acute. This is a community based vocational school, like NTS is so important.
NTS provides a 3-year professional education to youth aged 14-20 completely free of charge. There are NO hidden fees. We also realize that student retention depends upon health and well-being. If students are hungry, it is difficult to learn. If students are not safe, it is hard to stay focused. If young women fear an embarrassment during their period, they will not come to school. We have taken it upon ourselves to eliminate stigmas, obstacles and barriers where ever possible.
NTS supports our students by providing:
- 3 meals a day presenting a full 2,000 calorie diet;
- High quality education provided by local experts with small classes of 20 students, usually being further divided into smaller groups;
- A structured, daily curriculum and 6-hour school day
- English-as-a-Second Language classes;
- Computer literacy classes;
- Classes on nutrition and health;
- Individual and group counselling aimed at raising mentally resilient and positive youth;
- Female empowerment programming to support the special needs of female students;
- Sanitary products for our female students;
- Uniforms, so students have professional clothing for school;
- And a lot of friends and personal support to improve the quality of their lives.
NTS is focusing on providing not only high-quality education, but also raising strong and healthy young adults by improving their overall living conditions.
At the end of the 3-year studies, NTS students obtain a professional certification from the Kenyan National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) – the gold standard in Kenya! Once they graduate, they either get a job placement or decide to begin their professional journey as entrepreneurs. Careers in hairdressing, electrical, carpentry, or tailoring will secure a stable income not only for our graduates, but also for their families.
Families who experience the kind of transformation a free education from NTS can offer, are eager to enroll another child, improving their lives further. We are a model for Kenyan education, one student at a time.
NTS free education is helping pull an entire community out of poverty.
Would you like to support our cause? Contact us at info@nyamboyotechnical.org to discuss collaboration and volunteer opportunities.
References:
https://medium.com/edwell/how-kenya-became-the-strongest-education-system-in-africa-70cdc72024c4
https://studyinkenya.co.ke/blog/the-kenyan-education-system
https://wenr.wes.org/2015/06/education-kenya
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kenya/Education
https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/774/Kenya-SECONDARY-EDUCATION.html
https://knoema.com/atlas/Kenya/Pupil-teacher-ratio-in-primary-education