Kenyan Educational System
The current system is known as 8:4:4, that is 8 years of primary education, 4 years at secondary and 4 years at University. Today, nursery education adds a further 2 introductory years. Nursery and primary education provided by the Government is free. But provision in the rural areas is generally poor, with very large class sizes and little in the way of books or equipment. Thus, over the last ten years, parents who can afford it have increasingly sent their children to fee-paying primary schools.
Secondary schools in rural areas are generally boarding schools and, although subsidised by the Government, fees are very high. University is again subsidised by the Government but students also pay a small fee and must cover their own living expenses. The government operates a loan system here. There are also an increasing number of private universities.
With schools increasingly run as businesses, the inflation in school fees over the last few years has been notable. Up until 2010, our bursaries of 26,000Ksh covered all costs except that of uniform and personal effects for our students. Now that amount would pay only half of what is needed. This year all secondary schools, of whatever standard, are charging the highest rate allowed by the Government of 53,554Ksh. If we are feeling the strain of this, our families are feeling it more, as our current bursaries are 32,000Ksh and they must find the difference.
Educating children is becoming an increasing struggle in an area where the majority of families rely on farming. With the loss of cattle and of the valuable tobacco cash crop, the situation for the many is dire, with most household income devoted to school fees.
While the Trust concentrates on providing secondary school bursaries, where funds allow, we also try to help our students at university. We are very pleased to report that over the last 10 years an increasing number of our students have qualified for Government sponsored direct entry to University, with lower fees. The Government offers loans here to help students with the cost of fees and maintenance but these are not usually paid until the end of their first year of study. Where we can afford it, we give help for a student’s first year.
Educational standards in Kuria
There are now many primary schools in Kuria but educational standards have continued to lag far behind other areas of Kenya. Starting later than elsewhere, they have still not caught up. In 2013, they were almost the bottom of the league. A national survey found only 35.5% of children aged between 10 and 16 in Kuria West, could complete class 2 (second year in primary school) tasks in Kiswahili, English or maths. This compared to the highest score in Nairobi where 87.7% managed these same tasks.
A note for the future
Ever since the Trust operated, the 8:4:4 educational structure, 8 years in primary and 4 years each in secondary and university, has been in force, with nursery education adding a further two years at the outset. Beginning in 2017, it is to be carved up differently, 2:6:3:3:3, divided between lower/middle/upper schools. It is not yet clear to us where current secondary education (and secondary schools) will fit as it looks as if the four current secondary years will overlap with the current primary provision. Current primary education of 8 years will in future be 6, with middle school likewise being 6. This is dividing between current primary and secondary schools, with the last 3 years of the new system also being in the secondary schools. This new system started at the pre-primary level, taking pupils of 4/5 years and will be introduced throughout the system year by year, finally completing at the end of the first full cycle in 2027. During this time the KCPE and KCSE exams will continue, though presumably with changes as they adjust to new curricula.
GRADES AND CORRUPTION
In 2017, there was a crackdown to eliminate cheating which was thought to be producing exaggerated grades at the final public leaving examinations of KCSE and KCPE. This was thought to particularly affect the higher fee paying schools where corruption of the system was particularly feared, with examination papers leaked and so on. It had a very dramatic effect with the proportion of higher grades at KCSE cut severely. The figures show that in the examinations of 2017/18, less than 0.5% of candidates achieved an A or A- and less than 7% a B grade. The median grade was D with 66% getting a D+ to D-.
We are happy to report that this does not seem too have affected the grades of our students as, in the past 3 years, the proportion of A and B grades has actually increased. Indeed, in the exams taken 2017, one of our students achieved an A- grade, and was therefore in the top 3000 candidates of that year. In addition there were 2 B grades, 2 C grades and 1 D+. In 2018/9, we had 3 B grades and 2 Cs. In 2018/19, our students achieved 4 B grades and 2 Ds.
We were affected most by the drive to clean up the system when all the results in two of the schools that our students attended in 2018/19 were cancelled for reasons not disclosed but presumed to be corruption. Happily, the two students affected changed schools and retook the exams in the following year. They then did well.
It is a real testament to the intelligence and hard work of our students who living in impoverished rural circumstances inevitably have to struggle harder to realise their potential and demonstrate their worth. We heartily congratulate them all.
Secondary schools in rural areas are generally boarding schools and, although subsidised by the Government, fees are very high. University is again subsidised by the Government but students also pay a small fee and must cover their own living expenses. The government operates a loan system here. There are also an increasing number of private universities.
With schools increasingly run as businesses, the inflation in school fees over the last few years has been notable. Up until 2010, our bursaries of 26,000Ksh covered all costs except that of uniform and personal effects for our students. Now that amount would pay only half of what is needed. This year all secondary schools, of whatever standard, are charging the highest rate allowed by the Government of 53,554Ksh. If we are feeling the strain of this, our families are feeling it more, as our current bursaries are 32,000Ksh and they must find the difference.
Educating children is becoming an increasing struggle in an area where the majority of families rely on farming. With the loss of cattle and of the valuable tobacco cash crop, the situation for the many is dire, with most household income devoted to school fees.
While the Trust concentrates on providing secondary school bursaries, where funds allow, we also try to help our students at university. We are very pleased to report that over the last 10 years an increasing number of our students have qualified for Government sponsored direct entry to University, with lower fees. The Government offers loans here to help students with the cost of fees and maintenance but these are not usually paid until the end of their first year of study. Where we can afford it, we give help for a student’s first year.
Educational standards in Kuria
There are now many primary schools in Kuria but educational standards have continued to lag far behind other areas of Kenya. Starting later than elsewhere, they have still not caught up. In 2013, they were almost the bottom of the league. A national survey found only 35.5% of children aged between 10 and 16 in Kuria West, could complete class 2 (second year in primary school) tasks in Kiswahili, English or maths. This compared to the highest score in Nairobi where 87.7% managed these same tasks.
A note for the future
Ever since the Trust operated, the 8:4:4 educational structure, 8 years in primary and 4 years each in secondary and university, has been in force, with nursery education adding a further two years at the outset. Beginning in 2017, it is to be carved up differently, 2:6:3:3:3, divided between lower/middle/upper schools. It is not yet clear to us where current secondary education (and secondary schools) will fit as it looks as if the four current secondary years will overlap with the current primary provision. Current primary education of 8 years will in future be 6, with middle school likewise being 6. This is dividing between current primary and secondary schools, with the last 3 years of the new system also being in the secondary schools. This new system started at the pre-primary level, taking pupils of 4/5 years and will be introduced throughout the system year by year, finally completing at the end of the first full cycle in 2027. During this time the KCPE and KCSE exams will continue, though presumably with changes as they adjust to new curricula.
GRADES AND CORRUPTION
In 2017, there was a crackdown to eliminate cheating which was thought to be producing exaggerated grades at the final public leaving examinations of KCSE and KCPE. This was thought to particularly affect the higher fee paying schools where corruption of the system was particularly feared, with examination papers leaked and so on. It had a very dramatic effect with the proportion of higher grades at KCSE cut severely. The figures show that in the examinations of 2017/18, less than 0.5% of candidates achieved an A or A- and less than 7% a B grade. The median grade was D with 66% getting a D+ to D-.
We are happy to report that this does not seem too have affected the grades of our students as, in the past 3 years, the proportion of A and B grades has actually increased. Indeed, in the exams taken 2017, one of our students achieved an A- grade, and was therefore in the top 3000 candidates of that year. In addition there were 2 B grades, 2 C grades and 1 D+. In 2018/9, we had 3 B grades and 2 Cs. In 2018/19, our students achieved 4 B grades and 2 Ds.
We were affected most by the drive to clean up the system when all the results in two of the schools that our students attended in 2018/19 were cancelled for reasons not disclosed but presumed to be corruption. Happily, the two students affected changed schools and retook the exams in the following year. They then did well.
It is a real testament to the intelligence and hard work of our students who living in impoverished rural circumstances inevitably have to struggle harder to realise their potential and demonstrate their worth. We heartily congratulate them all.