A new report has revealed that more boys than girls in Kenya are either dropping out of school or failing to enrol altogether.
The latest Gender Report on Education, released on Tuesday, May 12, by the Usawa Agenda, shows that boys account for the largest share of children missing out on education despite continuing to enjoy an advantage in school resources and representation within the education sector.
According to the report, the out-of-school rate stands at 5.1 per cent for boys compared to 4.3 per cent for girls.
“More boys (5 in 100) than girls (4 in 100) of school-going age are out of school in Kenya,” the report states.
However, the findings indicate a different trend in refugee camps, where girls are more likely to miss out on education. The report shows that 22 out of every 100 school-going girls in refugee communities are out of school, compared to 19 out of 100 boys.
The study analysed data from more than 41,000 households and 1,527 public and private primary and comprehensive schools across all 47 counties. Researchers examined enrolment, literacy, learning outcomes and teenage pregnancy, as well as school infrastructure, staffing and leadership at all levels of education, including refugee communities.
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Although the report notes that the national percentage of out-of-school children has declined to 4.7 per cent in 2025, it highlights persistent inequalities in learning environments linked to region, gender and household background.
The research further found that girls record slightly higher school attendance rates and outperform boys in literacy and numeracy assessments. In contrast, boys are more likely to drop out of school in search of employment opportunities.
Despite these findings, the report notes that significant disparities remain in the allocation of resources, teaching positions and leadership roles, where men continue to dominate.
By Frank Mugwe
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