One out of every six Kenyans bribed to obtain services in public schools.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• According to the Afrobarometer survey, 73 per cent of Kenyans who contacted a school to obtain services found it extremely difficult.
• Respondents said it was difficult to get help in educational institutions, which more than doubled from 32 per cent in 2019.
• The Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the closure of many private schools, was blamed for the difficulties in obtaining services.

According to a survey, one in six Kenyan parents paid a bribe, gift, or did a favour for a teacher to get services. And in return for their children’s admission to public schools last year.

According to the Afrobarometer survey, 73 per cent of Kenyans who contacted a school to obtain services found it extremely difficult.

Respondents said it was difficult to get help in educational institutions. Hence doubled from 32 per cent in 2019.

The Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the closure of many private schools, was blamed for the difficulties in obtaining services.

The survey, which was conducted in November of last year, had a sample size of 2,400 people.

In contrast, the majority of respondents who had contact with a public school said that in general, teachers and school officials treat them with a lot of respect (52%), or some respect (28%).

Around 60% of parents said they would hold teachers accountable for misbehaviour such as absenteeism and student mistreatment.

This was true regardless of the parent’s level of education. Which ranged from post-secondary (65%) to secondary (60%) to primary (58%) to no formal education (58%).

Two-thirds of Kenyans (65%) believe the government is doing a good job of meeting educational needs, a decrease from 75% in 2019.

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Kenya recently changed its education curriculum to a Competency-Based Curriculum. In which students spend two years in preprimary school, six years in secondary school, and at least three years in tertiary school.

More than half of respondents (52 per cent) believed that the implementation of the CBC system would improve education in the country. Only one-quarter (26%) believe the CBC system will not improve education.