The year under review has been one of deep uncertainty, strain, and reflection for Kenya’s education sector. From early childhood centres to universities, the system has experienced turbulence that has tested its resilience, exposed long-standing structural weaknesses, and forced the nation to confront uncomfortable truths about how learning is governed, financed, and delivered. What has unfolded is not a single crisis but a convergence of many pressures—industrial unrest, financial shortfalls, reform fatigue, policy contestations, and social stresses—all playing out within classrooms, staffrooms, lecture halls, and homes. The turbulence has disrupted learning, unsettled educators, confused parents, and placed learners at the centre of a storm they did not create. Yet, as history often teaches, moments of instability also offer the clearest lessons.
One of the most visible manifestations of turbulence has been the recurrence of strikes by teachers and lecturers. Across basic education and higher learning institutions, industrial action has become almost predictable, signalling a breakdown in trust between educators and the state. Teachers have raised legitimate concerns over delayed or unimplemented Collective Bargaining Agreements, stagnant promotions, rising statutory deductions, and the widening gap between the cost of living and take-home pay. University lecturers, on their part, have protested unpaid arrears, delayed salaries, and institutional insolvency. The cumulative effect has been lost learning time, rushed syllabi, interrupted academic calendars, and emotional fatigue among learners. More profoundly, these strikes have sent a damaging message to students—that education, the very foundation of national development, can be switched on and off by unresolved disputes. The key lesson here is unavoidable: sustainable education systems are built on honest social dialogue, respect for agreements, and proactive conflict resolution. When negotiations are reactive rather than preventive, the classroom inevitably becomes collateral damage.
Closely tied to labour unrest has been the persistent problem of financial strain. Despite education consuming a large share of the national budget, schools and universities have struggled with delayed capitation, shrinking allocations, and unfunded mandates. Head teachers have been forced into uncomfortable roles as debt managers, negotiating with suppliers while trying to keep schools running. In some cases, feeding programmes have stalled, infrastructure projects have been abandoned, and co-curricular activities quietly dropped. Universities have faced an even harsher reality, grappling with ballooning wage bills, declining enrolments in some programmes, and a funding model still struggling to win public confidence. The lesson from this financial turbulence is that budgeting for education must move beyond headline figures. Predictability, timeliness, and alignment with policy ambitions matter more than promises on paper. Reforms such as curriculum changes or expanded access cannot succeed if they are not matched with realistic, consistent funding.
Another major source of instability has been the continuing transition within Kenya’s curriculum reforms. As learners move through the Competency-Based Education system, anxiety has grown among parents, teachers, and school managers. Questions around preparedness for senior school, adequacy of infrastructure, teacher deployment, assessment standards, and pathways beyond basic education have dominated public discourse. In many schools, teachers are expected to implement new approaches with minimal retraining, large class sizes, and limited teaching materials. Parents, meanwhile, have struggled to understand pathways, subject combinations, and placement criteria, creating confusion and, at times, mistrust. The turbulence surrounding curriculum reform has taught a critical lesson: change in education is not merely a technical process but a social one. Successful reform requires time, clarity, continuous communication, and genuine investment in teacher capacity. Without these, even well-intentioned reforms risk becoming sources of instability rather than progress.
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The higher education sector has not been spared either. The introduction and implementation of a new university funding model has sparked debate, resistance, and protest. Many students have expressed concern over misclassification, exclusion, and the fear that higher education may become inaccessible to those from vulnerable backgrounds. Institutions, caught between government policy and student expectations, have struggled to plan effectively. This contestation has highlighted a crucial lesson: policies that touch on access and equity must be transparent, inclusive, and flexible. When learners feel unheard or unfairly treated, the legitimacy of the entire system is called into question. Education policy cannot succeed through decree alone; it must earn public trust through fairness and dialogue.
Student unrest and behavioural challenges in secondary schools have also signalled deeper social pressures. In several institutions, cases of strikes, arson, and indiscipline have been linked to stress, academic pressure, inadequate guidance, and strained school environments. These incidents, though often treated as disciplinary failures, reflect a broader neglect of learner wellbeing. The lesson here is that education is as much about emotional and psychological support as it is about examinations. Schools that ignore counselling, mentorship, and student voice do so at significant risk. A stable learning environment is built not only on rules and routines but on relationships and care.
Beyond policy and finance, external shocks have continued to ripple through the education system. Natural disasters, health concerns, and safety incidents have disrupted attendance and raised questions about preparedness. While not always at the centre of national debate, these challenges have underscored the vulnerability of learning institutions to forces beyond their control. The lesson is clear: resilience must be built into school planning. Safety audits, disaster preparedness, and psychosocial support are no longer optional add-ons but core components of responsible education management.
Perhaps the most sobering lesson from the year’s turbulence is the cost of fragmented leadership. Education in Kenya involves multiple actors—national government, county governments, commissions, school boards, unions, parents, and development partners. When coordination weakens, confusion thrives. Mixed messages, policy reversals, and delayed decisions have amplified uncertainty. The sector has learned, painfully, that leadership must be coherent, consistent, and consultative. Learners and teachers need stability, not constant shifts in direction.
Yet, amid the turbulence, there is room for cautious optimism. The crises have sparked national conversations about the value of teachers, the actual cost of quality education, and the need to place learners at the centre of policy. They have reminded the country that education cannot be managed as a peripheral sector; it is the backbone of social cohesion, economic growth, and national identity. If the lessons of this turbulent year are taken seriously, Kenya has an opportunity to rebuild trust, strengthen systems, and chart a more stable path forward.
In the end, the turbulence witnessed is not merely a story of failure but a mirror held up to the nation. It reflects long-ignored cracks and forces difficult but necessary conversations. Whether these lessons translate into lasting reform will depend on the courage of leaders, the unity of stakeholders, and the willingness to put learners before politics. Education, after all, thrives not in chaos but in calm, commitment, and collective responsibility.
By Hillary Muhalya
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