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The Effects of User-fee Policy on Attendance Rates among Kenyan Elementary Schoolchildren

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Abstract

What happens when a government cannot meet its obligation to provide universal primary education and enhance the quality of education for all of its citizens? The present study examines the interactions among stakeholders in the user-fee policy in primary education in Kenya. It seeks to show how this policy has affected attendance rates and drop-out rates among elementary schoolchildren. It reveals that, in addition to limiting access and contributing to attrition, user-fees significantly contribute to absenteeism. The study also exposes the dire situation of economically vulnerable citizens who do not have the resources which they need to ensure private education for their children. It concludes that together the government and household-level economic weaknesses have made it virtually impossible to attain the goal of education for all in Kenya.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California at Los Angeles, Box 951521, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1521, USA

    Edith Mukudi

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  1. Edith Mukudi
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Correspondence to Edith Mukudi.

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Mukudi, E. The Effects of User-fee Policy on Attendance Rates among Kenyan Elementary Schoolchildren. Int Rev Educ 50, 447–461 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-004-4617-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-004-4617-8

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