Working Paper No. 04 of 2001 on Education Indicators in Kenya

Abstract

This paper looks at the education indicators and their trends, paying special attention to variations across gender and regions. Although Kenya has made an impressive achievement in the development of education since independence in 1963 in terms of adult literacy, school enrolments, and educational facilities, the gains appear to have been eroded since 1989. The adult literacy rate in Kenya more than tripled between 1963 and 1989 -from 20 percent to 74 percent respectively. This achievement reflects Kenya's impressive effort in expanding access to education since independence, largely by establishing a comprehensive network of schools throughout the country. The gross primary enrolment rate has fallen as low as 86.9 percent in 1999 after attaining a peak of 105.4 percent in 1989. The secondary enrolment rate also declined from 29.4 percent in 1990 to 21.5 percent in 1999. There are also large regional disparities in primary school enrolment and, qy 1999, all North-eastern districts had gross enrolment rates less than 30 percent while Machakos, Embu, and Nyandarua districts enjoyed universal primary enrolment of more than 100 percent. Transition rate from primary to secondary school has been declining- an indication of increase in wastage and inefficiency in the education system. The transition rate declined from 44.60 in 1990 to 39.90 percent in 1998. Recurrent education expenditure continues to command the largest share of the total ediication budget allocation. The current allocation of resources within the education sector seem to be inappropriate and ineffective as teachers' salaries account far 95 - 97 percent of total public recurrent expenditure in the primary and secondary school levels of education, thus leaving little resources far other necessary school inputs such as learning materials and textbooks.