Access and Quality in the Kenyan Education System: A Review of the Progress, Challenges and Potential Solutions

Abstract

Education is widely seen as one of the most promising paths for individuals to realize better, more productive lives and as one of the primary drivers of national economic development. The citizens and the government of Kenya have invested heavily in improving both the access and quality of education, in an effort to realize the promise of education as well as to achieve the education-related Millennium Development Goals and Vision 2030. The objectives of this review are to help inform the education investment strategy of the Government of Kenya by (1) identifying the key issues facing the education sector, (2) suggesting potential solutions based on lessons learned from rigorous quantitative research, (3) summarizing promising solutions that could be important for education in Kenya but that may not have enough support from rigorous research, and (4) highlighting a subset of proven high-impact and cost-effective policies that could boost the productivity of the education sector. The potential solutions are based on evidence drawn from rigorous quantitative research, and in particular on randomized evaluations, which provide the most reliable evidence on what works and what does not work in increasing access to quality education.