The Kenya Education Directory

First published in 1999, this study of the politics of education in Cameroon, the Congo and Kenya presents arresting empirical evidence that urban elites exiting public sector educational systems they have dominated in favour of private school networks of their own creation. Seeking to enhance their offspring’s chances for survival and even domination in a world of scarce resources and limited opportunities for employment, elites see private schools as tools to shape newly emerging civil societies in Africa in their own image. From a theoretical perspective, the fresh evidence presented here shows that schooling has once again become a major social force influencing the balance of state and society in modern Africa. Re-examining an older political tradition of class analysis and integrating it into more recent civil society perspectives, the author shows that the abandonment of the unreliable education services of dysfunctional African states in favour of private schools has profound consequences for class articulation in societies dividing, once again, according to educational opportunities.

This case study surveys the educational services provided by the private sector in Kenya, identifies the major issues and discusses a possible role for the World Bank Group, especially IFC (International Finance Corporation). The demand for all types of education at all levels has greatly outpaced the capacity of the public school system. This has allowed "edupreneurs" to provide academic and vocational education, catering to many socioeconomic segments of the population. Although enrollment in private schools has been increasing rapidly, the supply-demand gap continues to grow. Many private schools wish to expand, but face prohibitive constraints, primarily related to scarcity of financial resources and inadequate management skills. Development institutions, including IFC, can help alleviate these constraints, provided that they are ready to comprehensively address the particular issues faced by private educational institutions. Appended are five tables presenting the data. (RJM)