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Public schools have adequate infrastructure, reveals report

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi leads stakeholders in launching the 2014 basic education statistical booklet.
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi leads stakeholders in launching the 2014 basic education statistical booklet.

There are enough toilets in public schools for both boys and girls considering the high numbers schools have recorded since the free primary and subsidized secondary education started. Going by the pupil to toilet ratio, the facilities are not only adequate, but also favorably comparable to those in private schools.

The 2014 Basic Education Statistics booklet reveals that while public schools both primary and secondary have more students, they equally have adequate infrastructure to cater for the students. As a result, the quality of access to these facilities is not compromised.

Male pupils in public primary schools are 123,996 with a ratio of 34: 1 while female students are 142,663 with a ratio of 29: 1 in the pupil to toilet ratio facilities. Private primary schools have 30,673 male pupils with a ratio of 20: 1 while female students are 33,597 with a ratio of 17: 1. In public secondary schools, the male students are 51,041 with a ratio of 22: 1 while female students are 57,256 with a ratio of 18: 1. In private secondary schools, there are 4,883 male students with a ratio of 15: 1 while female students are 7,256 with a ratio of 11: 1.

These facilities also have a very high access to water with all primary schools having 92 percent while secondary schools having 94 percent. The sources of the water being tap, borehole, river and rainwater means that cleanliness in basic education can be guaranteed and help ensure quality education.

There is also a good electricity connection in the primary and secondary schools. The jubilee government has been talking of providing free laptops for primary schools while also seeing to it that secondary schools are ICT driven. Rural Electrification Authority (REA) partnered with the Ministry of Education to ensure that this is a reality.

Data from the 2014 school census indicate that 43.8 percent of all primary schools are connected to electricity while 56.2 percent are not connected.  At secondary school level, 75.3 percent of all secondary schools are connected to electricity while 24.7 percent are not connected.

In terms of classrooms and average class sizes public schools have more permanent structures in use than private schools. While the class size for private schools in much lower than that of public schools, they both are within international standard of 40 students per class. It says

“the average class size in public primary schools was 36 while in private schools it stood at 16. The class size in public and private secondary schools was 40 and 23 respectively.”

shitemi khamadi
shitemi khamadi
Shitemi is the Kenya Monitor Managing Editor. He trains journalists on basics of journalism, storytelling, conflict sensitive journalism and devolution.

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