Impact of Free Primary Education in Kenya: A Case Study of Private Schools in Kibera
Contributor Name:
Kavita
Free primary education (FPE) is widely assumed to be necessary in order to ensure that the poor gain enrolment in schools.
The authors explore this premise in Kenya, where huge increases were reported in enrolment after FPE was introduced in 2003. The research, conducted in the informal settlement of Kiberia in Nairobi, Kenya, suggests a less beneficial outcome. Findings indicate that:
- Enrolment increased in government primary schools, but it drastically decreased in private schools in the informal settlement;
- Number of private schools was higher than that registered with the government;
- Parents were dissatisfied with government schools and satisfied with private schools, since FPE.
The authors recommend that, in order to ensure education for all, the government should enhance the role of the private sector in education instead of ignoring it.