Boys face barriers to education, leading to rising dropout rates

As Kenya celebrates milestones in education, a worrying trend is emerging: fewer boys are completing secondary school as recently witnessed in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam results.

This has raised concerns among educators, and policymakers who now feel that the boy child has been forgotten.

During the year 2024 KCSE examination, 14 Counties had a significant entry of more female than male candidates among them Vihiga (55.15 against 44.85 per cent), Elgeyo Marakwet (53.76 against 46.24 per cent), Kirinyaga (51.46 against 48.54 per cent), Meru (51.69 against 48.31 per cent).

Others counties which had majority of the female, include Kiambu, Nairobi, Kisumu, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Isiolo, Tharaka Nithi, Kakamega and Uasin Gishu.

It is only in Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Samburu, Narok, Homabay, West Pokot, Mombasa, Migori, Embu, Kisii, Nyamira and Baringo where significant entry of more male than female candidates were registered.

On this trend, former Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) chairperson Kahi Indimuli argues that while more boys join Form One, fewer of them are completing their education. “It’s necessary to find out why the number of boys registering for KCSE for the last four years has remained lower than that of girls despite the number of boys joining Form One being always higher than girls,” said Indimuli.

Meanwhile, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) Secretary General Akelo Misori admits that many boys never making it to the exam hall. In Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL) regions where boys significantly outnumber girls in enrollment, Muli says dropout rates remain high. “For some boys, the journey to earning an education is fraught with obstacles. Early exposure to manual labor, peer pressure, and economic hardship often force them out of school,” said Misori.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) chairman Willis Kuria said Sub-county schools, which cater to students from disadvantaged areas, bear the brunt of these struggles.

“You can realise that the majority of schools in rural areas are where the gender disparity is striking. We need as a nation to invest in these areas so that our boys are not left behind,” he stated.

For the first time, 482,202 girls sat for the 2024 KCSE exam compared to 480,310 boys with the majority failing to meet the requirements to join the university. According to data from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), out of the 48,333 candidates who scored a mean grade of E, 28,221 were male. These marks a slight increase from the 28,214 boys who scored the same grade in 2023. Sub-county schools, which serve a majority of students from low-income households, accounted for over 83 per cent of these grades.

Philip Amuyunzu, an education expert, attributes these trends to systemic challenges in the education sector citing that the 8-4-4 system was heavily focused on academic performance and neglected the diverse abilities and circumstances of learners. “For a boy to score an E, there are often underlying issues—family challenges, mental health struggles, or even the learning environment itself,” he explained.

Many boys who score low grades face ridicule, both in school and at home with Amuyunzu emphasising that this societal pressure worsens the situation. “Parents need to understand that every child has unique gifts. An E grade does not define a person’s future potential,” he said.

In 2024, 40,369 E grades came from sub-county schools. Critics argue that these institutions often lack the resources to provide quality education and emotional support to struggling learners. To address this issue, Friends Vihiga School Principal Albert Masiolo advocates for a more inclusive approach, including the adoption of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which emphasises personal skills and aptitude over exam performance. “CBC is a step in the right direction. It moves away from labeling children as failures and focuses on their strengths. Here we have a place for everyone. We mold all round students both academically and co-curricula,” Masiolo noted.

Meanwhile, Indimuli urged policymakers to develop clear pathways for students who score lower grades. “These boys deserve a second chance. We need vocational training centers, mentorship programmes, and support systems to help them find their footing,” he said.

However, Benson Manoo, Principal Machakos School urged parents to accommodate their children as E is not the end of life. “Parents whose children have scored E need to embrace their children by understanding that they are gifted differently and have different levels of emotional intelligence,” he said.

Last year, former Education CS Ezekiel Machogu directed for an immediate probe to ascertain the unsettling numbers.

Analyst, Ouko Muthoni faulted quality assurance officers who inspect the quality of education claiming that they have slept on their jobs.