Do low-cost private school leavers in the informal settlement have a good chance of admission to a government secondary school? A study from Kibera in Kenya

Abstract

There are growing numbers of low-cost private schools in urban informal settlements in developing countries. It has been argued that these institutions may constitute alternatives for government schools, as they are able to meet the educational needs of children in urban informal settlements. This study explores the question of whether low-cost private schools can meet their needs, not only in terms of primary education but also with regard to access to further education. The study selected 12 private schools in Kibera and 2 government schools neighbouring Kibera, asking head teachers which secondary school each primary school leaver had joined. The findings show that whereas over two-thirds of primary school leavers in general went on to secondary school, pupils graduating from government primary school were more likely to be enrolled in government secondary school than those pupils who completed the low-cost private primary school in Kibera. Moreover, performance in national examinations was lowest among girls attending the school in Kibera. The study thus argues that while the low-cost private primary school can meet the educational needs of children in the informal settlement to some extent, it cannot represent an alternative to the government primary school.

Keywords:

• low-cost private school
• informal settlement
• access
• post-primary education
• Kenya

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (No. 22830051) under the Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up. I am grateful to my research assistant, Godfrey Sante, who shared the burden of collecting data. I am also grateful to colleagues who have offered constructive comments on earlier drafts of this paper, including Fredrick Kamunde, Njage-Rwito Jackson and Kaugi Ephantus. Any and all errors that remain in this paper are the sole responsibility of the author.

Notes

1. There were no government schools situated within the borders of Kibera. Nevertheless, local people suggested that there were about five government primary schools adjoining Kibera. Of these, one tended to accommodate children from middle-income families residing on neighbouring estates and two more were located in close proximity to Kibera but actually administered by a different district authority. Thus, the study was only able to investigate the remaining two government schools that accommodated children resident in Kibera.

2. There were also several ‘incomplete’ schools in Kibera, that is, they did not offer the full primary cycle from grade 1 to grade 8. In many cases, such schools were in the process of extending grade coverage.

3. Primary schools retained documentation comprising: (1) KCPE results, (2) primary school certificates and (3) secondary school admission letters, which former pupils wishing to enrol in secondary school were obliged to collect, these three documents being essential for admission to the next level. Accordingly, the study was able to trace the whereabouts of each primary school leaver who had reported for this purpose. In cases in which pupils failed to return after the KCPE examination, the school did not have any records of the child’s whereabouts.

4. According to the contemporary MOE registration system, School D should be classified as ‘private’ rather than ‘community’. However, the field study basically adhered to head teachers’ descriptions in this respect.

5. 1 US$ = approximately KES 81 as of January 2011.