The hollowing out of Kenya's public primary schools and the rise of low-fee private schools: The struggle between diversification and standardization

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K02423
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 09020:Sociology of education-related
• Research Institution: Teikyo University
• Principal Investigator: Ohba Asayo 帝京大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (30578828)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 無認可学校 / 低学費私立学校 / 非正規居住地域 / ケニア / 初等教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study compares the hollowing out of public primary schools in Kenya and the rapid increase in low-fee private schools (here, I refer to unaccredited schools, which are increasing in informal settlements, or slum areas) in terms of diversification of pupils and standardization of schools, and identifies the differences between them.

The results of the study show that public schools are in high demand in terms of connection to secondary schools after completion of primary school, although the quality of education in public schools has declined due to the increase in enrollment caused by the free schooling policy. The study also revealed that a certain percentage of unaccredited schools are also in high demand because their curriculum follows the curriculum of formal schooling, even if they are unaccredited schools in informal settlements.

Free Research Field

教育開発研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでの先行研究では、アフリカにおける初等教育の無償化政策は教育の質低下を招き、貧困層でも敢えて私立校を選択することが議論されてきた。しかし、「どこで学ぶか」の学校選択は、必ずしも教育の質（＝成績）だけが問われるものではなく、どのようなサービスが受けられるか、誰が教育を提供し、また初等教育修了後の中等教育への接続はどの程度スムーズであるのかなど、さまざまな要因が絡んでいることが明らかにされた。未だ低所得者層の子どもたちは十分な教育機会が得られていない。そのような中で、公立・私立、認可・無認可に関わらず、正規の学校教育カリキュラムに則った学びの場は、一定数の需要があることを明らかにした。