Education and Parenting in Kenya

Abstract

This chapter discusses parenting practices and students’ academic achievement in light of Kenya’s current education system. An attempt is made to trace the evolution of the Kenyan education system through the years from the informal traditional education to the current 8-4-4 system. The transformation of the traditional education system and parenting practices by the advent of colonialism and the implications of strategies adopted by successive post-independence governments to address existing challenges to the education sector are also discussed. For example, by increasing access to education, the number of students enrolled in both primary and secondary schools has dramatically increased. This increase has brought with it challenges of quality and the need for parents to participate in financing of their children’s education. The result has been drop-out and low transition rates from primary to secondary schools. The partial financing of education in Kenya by parents has affected low-income families more than it has affected middle- and high-income families. Parents now work harder, and spend more time and family income on education at the expense of other pressing family needs. The competitive nature of the Kenyan education system has also increased the need for boarding schools, which have now become a significant experience for many children attending school. Most parents prefer these schools because of perceived higher quality of education and infrastructure. This minimizes the available time parents spend with their children because the length of the school year in total is about nine months. However, boarding schools perform better than day schools. More research is needed to determine the underlying factors responsible for the reported higher academic achievements of students in boarding schools.