Urban public primary schools are grappling with severe overcrowding, with some institutions recording one Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) teacher for every 68 learners (1:68), far above recommended ratios.
The findings are contained in the 2025 Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (FLANA) report by Usawa Agenda, which highlights stark disparities between urban, rural, and private schools. Rural public schools average one teacher for every 45 learners, while private schools maintain much lower ratios at 34 learners per teacher.
Nationally, the average primary school class size stands at 38 learners, with Nairobi slightly lower at 36. However, the capital’s average TSC teacher-to-classroom ratio is 0.72, below the national average of 0.99.
“Having an average TSC teachers/classroom ratio less than one means that at least a class goes without a teacher even when all teachers are present and teaching,” the report notes.
Pupil-to-teacher ratios (PTR) further expose the strain. While the national PTR for primary schools is 40:1, Nairobi’s urban schools average 50:1, exceeding both national and recommended standards. Preschools fare better, averaging 18:1 in Nairobi compared to the national average of 26:1.
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The overcrowding has direct consequences on learning outcomes. By Grade 3, only 42.1 per cent of girls and 40.1 per cent of boys can read and understand a Grade 3-level English story. Numeracy results show boys slightly ahead, with 20.8 per cent solving Grade 3-level problems compared to 20.7 per cent of girls. By Grade 4, less than half of learners can read a Grade 3-level story, and only 29.8 per cent can manage both literacy and numeracy tasks.
Gender gaps persist, with girls generally outperforming boys in reading comprehension and combined literacy and numeracy, except in refugee schools, where boys perform better. By Grade 6, the learning deficit worsens, with nearly half of learners unable to meet Grade 3-level literacy and numeracy standards.
Urban schools typically run more streams per grade, averaging 1.7 in Grade 1 and 2.2 in Grade 6, compared to rural schools at 1.2 to 1.3. Private schools consistently report smaller classes, while refugee community schools face extreme overcrowding, with classes nearly three times larger than the national average.
Early childhood education is also under strain. Public ECDE teachers handle an average of 35 learners, compared to 22 in private centres. Nationally, ECDE ratios stand at 35:1 in rural areas and 34:1 in urban centres.
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Schools serving learners with special needs face additional barriers. Three in ten head teachers cite insufficient government funding, while others point to lack of specialised personnel, poor infrastructure, costly learning materials, and limited parental support.
The report concludes that while urban schools may appear better resourced, high enrolment has left them carrying the heaviest burden, threatening equity and learning outcomes across the education system.
By Masaki Enock
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