The Education System of Kenya

Abstract

Evidence shows that appropriate investments in education and training are a catalyst to socioeconomic development in many countries. This is possible where these investments generate three key outcomes, namely, knowledge, skills, and appropriate attitudes. An appropriate education system for a country is founded on a philosophy, vision, and mission with targets and goals pursued through clearly stated objectives. This chapter spells out the philosophy, vision, mission, goals, and objectives of Kenya’s education system as a whole. Kenya’s Ministry of Education is guided by the national philosophy, which places education at the center-stage of the country’s socioeconomic development strategies. Despite this emphasis, the system of education has largely been academic and examination-oriented. Faced with many challenges, the sector has been a subject of many committees, which failed to realize its vision and mission. Ongoing education reforms in the sector include implementing a competency-based curriculum that has seen a change of structure from 8-4-4 to 2-6-3-3 and an elaborate philosophy being “provision of a holistic, quality, and inclusive education and training for transformation to a knowledge economy, social cohesion, and sustainable development.” With an enhanced governance and management structure and continued stakeholder support, the chapter concludes that, if carefully implemented, the new curriculum can potentially address long-standing socioeconomic challenges facing Kenyan citizens.