The Education of Women in Kenya, 1975-1984.

The extent to which the educational system reaches women in Kenya will in some measure dictate the pace of national development. Data indicate that significant progress was made in the area of education for Kenyan women during the 1975-1984 decade. This was particularly so at the primary school level where near-parity was achieved in the enrollments between boys and girls, and, to a lesser extent, in the adult literacy role for women. There are, however, regional disparities and significant differences in attrition rates and in achievement. At the secondary school level, modest progress has been made in the number of girls attending school. Three disturbing observations at this level are the high rate of drop-outs among females due to pregnancy, the limited number of secondary schools for girls, and non-participation of girls in science and technical education. On the positive side, improvement in the number of girls attending secondary school can be attributed to changed parental attitudes regarding the value of education for women that has taken place during the last decade. Eight recommendations for educational development conclude this document. (BZ)

an: ED284802; docTypes: Reports - Research; pubTypes: Report;