Online schooling has gained visibility in Kenya over the past few years, yet many parents remain hesitant to fully embrace it. While most families are aware of digital learning options, actual enrollment in full-time online programs remains low. Experts say this hesitation is driven less by access to technology and more by questions around quality, structure, and social development.
For many parents, online schooling still carries the shadow of emergency remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time, lessons were often improvised, schedules inconsistent, and parents were expected to play an active role in guiding learning. These experiences left a lasting impression that online schooling is isolating, unstructured, and difficult to manage alongside everyday family responsibilities.
Structure is one of the most commonly cited concerns. Parents want clarity on who is responsible for teaching, how progress is monitored, and whether children receive enough guidance throughout the school day. Without clear timetables, live instruction, and consistent teacher interaction, flexibility can feel like a lack of oversight rather than a benefit. Families with working parents, in particular, worry about programs that rely heavily on supervision at home.
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Social development is another key issue. Many parents fear that students may miss out on peer interaction, collaboration, and relationship-building that physical classrooms naturally provide. Some online schools are addressing this by building structured peer engagement into their programs, including live classes, small learning pods, and extracurricular activities such as clubs and in-person meetups.
Academic credibility also shapes parental decisions. Recognised curricula, measurable learning outcomes, and clear pathways to further education are crucial. Flexibility alone is rarely enough to convince parents, who often view unstructured programs as a risk to long-term academic and career opportunities.
Taken together, these factors show why awareness of online schooling has not automatically translated into adoption. Kenyan parents are not rejecting the model outright; they are cautious and selective. For online schooling to gain wider acceptance, programs must combine clear structure, social interaction, and credible academic outcomes while demonstrating that flexibility does not come at the expense of quality.
As online education continues to evolve in Kenya, parental trust remains the key factor determining how quickly the model is adopted and how it will be integrated into the country’s broader education landscape.
By Magdaline Muranda
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