Concern as boys’ enrolment drops to 45 per cent in Kenyan Schools
By Wanjiku Waweru
A widening gender gap is emerging in Kenya’s secondary education system, with boys now accounting for just 45 per cent of enrolment, according to a new report by the Elimu Yetu Coalition.
The coalition says the proportion of boys in secondary schools has fallen from 51 per cent to 45 per cent in recent years, reversing earlier gains in gender parity and raising concern among education stakeholders.
Presenting the findings during the State of Basic Education Address in Nairobi on December 17, Coalition Coordinator Joseph Wasikhongo noted that the decline in boys’ enrolment has coincided with a steady rise in girls’ participation, resulting in a gender parity ratio of 1.16 in favour of girls.
“The boy-child crisis at secondary school enrolment is dropping at a very high rate, currently at 45 per cent, with high parity levels in favour of girls at 1.16,” Wasikhongo said during the coalition’s State of Basic Education Address in Nairobi.
The report, informed by observations from county education networks and national partners throughout 2025, shows that girls are now recording transition rates of over 90 per cent from upper primary to secondary school.
As Kenya continues implementing the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and prepares for the transition to Grade 10, the coalition acknowledged progress, including the retooling of more than 100,000 teachers, development of learning materials up to Grade 11, and construction of 14,641 junior secondary classrooms. However, it warned that subject mismatches, uneven parental awareness, and incomplete infrastructure could undermine learning quality.
Teacher shortages remain a major challenge, with a national deficit of 111,870 teachers despite recent recruitment and planned hires.
The shortages are most severe in arid and semi-arid lands, hard-to-staff schools, and STEM subjects. The coalition also raised concerns over under-enrolment in Special Needs Education, capitation delays, ghost schools, and gaps in refugee education and digital learning, particularly in rural and marginalised areas.
Climate-related disruptions, weak infrastructure, and limited access to school feeding programmes further threaten learning continuity.
The coalition urged targeted, gender-responsive interventions to address the boy-child enrolment crisis, alongside strengthened teacher support, inclusive policies, and evidence-based planning to safeguard education gains and ensure equitable access for all learners.
