Private community schools operating in Kenya’s informal settlements have raised alarm over the challenges they face in implementing the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, appealing for urgent government intervention. Leaders of the Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) Schools say limited resources, inadequate facilities, and insufficient teacher training are undermining their ability to deliver quality education to thousands of learners who cannot be accommodated in public schools.
APBET Secretary General Athman Juma Lubambo noted that while government programmes supporting the transition to CBE have largely focused on public institutions, privately run schools serving low-income communities have been left struggling to keep pace. He explained that many teachers in these schools have not received adequate training to handle the demands of the new curriculum, leaving learners disadvantaged.
“The situation has been particularly challenging since the introduction of the new curriculum. Many schools lack basic facilities and teaching materials needed to deliver lessons effectively,” Lubambo said, urging authorities to provide infrastructure support and learning resources to ensure children in informal settlements receive the same standard of education as their peers in public schools.
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Lubambo further called for teachers employed in APBET schools and registered by the Teachers Service Commission to be included in professional development programmes. He said the proposed APBET Amendment Bill 2025 could help improve recognition and support for such schools once enacted, giving them a stronger foundation to operate within the national education framework.
According to APBET, dozens of these institutions have already been formally registered across the country, with more than 39 located in Mombasa County and at least 26 in Kisumu County. Despite this progress, Lubambo said many schools still struggle to access government-supplied textbooks and other learning materials required for CBE.
Education providers in informal settlements have explained that while these schools are making efforts to maintain learning standards, they urgently need better facilities and resources to properly deliver the curriculum.
They have urged the government to provide additional support in the form of textbooks, learning equipment, and infrastructure, which would help schools manage the demands of the new system.
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Stakeholders warn that without increased support, community schools serving informal settlements may struggle to sustain quality learning under the CBE framework. Despite absorbing large numbers of pupils from low-income families, these schools remain under-resourced, raising concerns that the promise of competency-based education could bypass some of the country’s most vulnerable learners.
By Masaki Enock
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