By Roy Hezron
A recently released survey indicate that there are 947,413 Out-of-School Children (OOSC) in 16 counties across the country.
This is revealed in a report titled Expansion of Operation “Come–To–School” Programme In Kenya; Baseline Survey on Out-Of-School Children Report, released by the Ministry of Education most recently.
The Survey which was conducted by the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK) in collaboration with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) showed that the most common location to find these out of school children are grazing fields (17 per cent), market places (13 per cent), public transport businesses (12 per cent), on the streets (11 per cent) and in entertainment places (10 per cent).
The baseline study focused on determining who the OOSC are, where they are located, what barriers they face, what interventions will ensure their participation, and how to track their progress in an education programme across the sixteen target counties.
According to 2019 Population and Housing Census, an estimated 2.4 million of four to 17 year-old school-age children were found to have never been to school, with data revealing that 28 per cent and 25 per cent of four to five year-old males and females, respectively, compared to 10 per cent and eight per cent of 14 to 17-year-old males and females, respectively, had never been to school in 2019.
For six to13 years old children, 10 per cent of boys and nine per cent of girls have never been in school.
Significant disparities at county levels exist, particularly, between children that have never attended school and living in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) in the country compared to children resident in non-ASALs and other geographical locations.
According to Out-of-School Children (OOSC) Initiative Kenya Country Study (2021), in 2019, Primary net attendance rate stood at 76 per cent with notable regional disparities.
Fewer than 3 out of 10 children aged 6- to 13-year were attending school at the right age. In some arid counties, more than one-half of Primary school-age children were found to be out-of-school.
All these data sources point at 16 counties to have the highest number of OOSC; which are Garissa, Wajir, Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, Isiolo, West Pokot, Tana River, Mandera, Nairobi, Kilifi, Kwale, Kajiado, Narok, Baringo and Bungoma.
In Marsabit, Mandera, Kajiado, Garissa, Narok, West Pokot and Isiolo Counties, the study revealed that most of OOSC are found in grazing fields; while in Nairobi County most of them are found on the streets or in garbage dump sites.
In Bungoma County, the OOSC are found in farm plantations as well as on the streets; in Kwale and Kilifi Counties, majority of the OOSC are found on the beach and in entertainment places; while in Turkana County they can be found in market places and carrying out boda boda business.
The study found out that the highest number of out-of-school children is found in Mandera (170,050), Garissa (166,010), Wajir (152,130) and Turkana (144,520) counties; with these Counties collectively comprising of 632,710 OOSC.
According to the survey findings, in the 16 counties except Mandera and Kwale, there are noted higher percentage of OOSC boys compared to girls.
Counties with the lowest number of OOSC according to the survey findings were Tana River, Bungoma and Kilifi, with the study finding out further that in Overall an estimated 947,413 OOSC, which included 452,229 boys and 495,184 girls are within the 16 counties.
“The OOSC baseline study revealed that there are a total of 27,555 (11,108 girls) children living with disabilities within the 16 select counties,” read the survey findings in part.
The counties with the highest number of identified OOSC with disabilities include Turkana 4573 (2351 girls), Mandera 10,082(3248 girls), Garissa 4317(1728girls) and Wajir 2874 (1144 girls).
The findings further showed that School factors including learning environment, poor performance, poor infrastructure, lack of the school feeding program and poor learning approaches and corporal punishment; collectively accounted for approximately 60 per cent of all factors that contributed to children not being in school.
The home factors which included poverty, parental negligence, family conflict and drug abuse collectively accounted for 58 per cent; while Community factors which included cultural practices, negative attitudes, peer pressure and nomadic lifestyle collectively accounted for approximately 54 per cent.
According to the Survey report, the Head teachers mentioned that uncooperative parents, negative attitudes, poverty, insecurity and nomadic lifestyle were the main challenges of bringing OOSC back to school.
On the other hand, the main reason given by respondents on why girls do not attend school are teenage pregnancies and early marriage, peer pressure, performing household chores and cultural practices; while for boys are running Boda-boda businesses, peer pressure, parental negligence, nomadic lifestyle, child labor and insecurity.
Interventions currently being undertaken to ensure all out of school children are attending school include school feeding program (15 per cent), use of local administration or chiefs (11 per cent), law enforcement at 8 per cent, issuance of sanitary towels at 7 per cent, and awareness campaigns at 7 per cent.
UNICEF Representative to Kenya Maniza Zaman said all children have a right to an education but for many children in Kenya, Covid-19 and drought are making this a pipe dream.
“We need to act now to get all children back into classrooms, making a special effort to reach girls and children with disabilities. At the same time, we need to continue to invest in a better-quality education experience that will keep children in school,” said Zaman.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha who was represented by Principal Secretary for Implementation of Curriculum Prof. Fatuma Chege acknowledged that the Government has the primary responsibility to provide quality education to all citizens.
“It is my hope that parents and caregivers will uphold their parental roles to ensure all school going children access, transit and complete education at all levels. It is quite sad from the statistics provided that some counties in ASALs are home to high numbers of out of school children,” said Prof. Magoha.
