Transitional Enrolment Trends within the Different Educational Levels in Kenya: An Analysis of Promoting Facets

Abstract

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have for decades grappled with bridging the gap in enrolment numbers between male and female students. Education for All (EFA) goals have provided guidance to these countries on attainment of gender equality in education. EFA goal number 5 articulates the international commitments aimed at achieving global gender equality in education by 2015. This is to be arrived at by increasing the enrolment of female learners at different levels of education. The Ministry of Education in Kenya developed policies and strategies to enable an increase in female students enrolling in school. With these policies and strategies, Kenya has realised tremendous successes in terms of enrolment numbers. However the country still faces challenges in some geographic areas. In as much as there is an increase in the number of girls participating in primary and secondary school levels, Kenya is yet to attain gender equality in education. The number of boys in these levels of education still surpass that of girls by a concerning proportion. Interestingly these trends change in post secondary education levels. Universities have recorded an amplified enrolment of female. This paper documents trends in enrolment numbers by gender in primary, secondary and post-secondary levels of education in Kenya. Further, the paper interrogates the facets that promote the shifts in the enrolment trends.

Keywords: Enrolment trends; Gender inequality in education; Education in Kenya; Gender and Education; Gender differences in Education.