1.13 million Kenyan children out of school amid deepening inequalities – report

An empty classroom in Northern Kenya. (Photo: Dare Foundation)

By Lucy Mumbi
Tuesday, December 2, 2025

An Oxfam report shows 1.13 million Kenyan children are out of school, linking dropouts to deepening inequality, underfunded public schools, teacher shortages and rising private education gaps.

Approximately 1.13 million school-age children are currently out of school, blocked by poverty, child labour, early marriages, teenage pregnancies and lack of meals, a new report shows.

The report, titled “Kenya’s inequality crisis: The great economic divide”, attributes the high dropout rates to deepening socio-economic inequalities, underfunded public schools and limited access to quality education in marginalised counties.

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It notes that children from poor households receive fewer years of schooling than those from wealthy families, significantly reducing their chances of a better livelihood. For instance, learners in Nairobi County receive an average of 11.2 years of schooling, while those in Turkana County get only 5.4 years.

“Approximately 1.13 million children of primary school age are out of school, and nearly half of secondary school-going students are not accessing secondary education at the appropriate age. A secondary school-age child from the poorest quintile has a seven-in-ten chance of not being in school, while this is only three-in-ten for a child from the richest quintile,” reads the report by Oxfam.

Oxfam has criticised the government for failing to increase education funding in line with inflation, expressing concern that while children from wealthy families access high-quality education through private schools, those from the poorest households receive significantly fewer years of schooling.

“The children of the richest families receive expensive and high-quality education from private providers, while children from the poorest 20 per cent of households receive almost five fewer years of schooling than those from the richest 20 per cent. When adjusted for inflation, the amount of money per pupil that the government spends on primary schools is equivalent to just 18 per cent of what it was worth in 2003 [when it was set],” reads the report, adding that Free Primary Education funding per learner has remained at Sh1,420 since 2003, which equals about Sh250 in 2024 after adjusting for inflation.

Teacher shortages further hinder learning, with the country facing a deficit of approximately 100,000 teachers. The report estimates that filling the gap would require Sh72.8 billion annually.

Inequalities also extend into higher education, where only one per cent of people from the poorest quintile attain tertiary education, compared to 45 per cent of their wealthiest counterparts.

“Public spending on tertiary education increases inequality, which is unsurprising, as only a fraction of the poorest students make it to higher education,” reads the report.

The Oxfam report also highlights broader wealth disparities in Kenya, showing that the 125 wealthiest individuals hold more wealth than 77 per cent of the population, roughly 42.6 million people. Gender disparities persist among the poor.

“While there are deeply-rooted gender challenges to school attendance among children in poorer families, there is no gender gap in attendance in the richest quintile. About one million girls miss out on school each month due to a lack of sanitary towels, adding up to an average of two weeks of lost learning each year,” the report states.

Boys from the poorest quintile are 30 per cent more likely than girls to attend secondary school.

The report further highlights the growth of low-cost private schools, which have emerged to address congestion in public institutions. It, however, states that these schools often deliver sub-standard education, pay teachers poorly and remain inaccessible to most families.

Meanwhile, elite private schools continue to serve wealthy households, offering modern facilities, qualified teachers, smaller class sizes, and international curricula, thereby deepening the socio-economic divide. Illegal fees in public schools, including charges for admission, tuition, lockers, toilets and exams, also add pressure on parents.

According to Oxfam, there is an urgent need for targeted interventions to address educational inequities, improve funding and teacher recruitment, and close gender and socio-economic gaps, ensuring all Kenyan children can access quality education.