Report Reveals Gender Disparities in Educational Resources: Boys’ Schools Favored, Mixed Schools Unfavored
A recent report by Usawa Agenda has shed light on the unequal distribution of educational resources in Kenya, with boys’ schools being more privileged than girls’ schools.
This imbalance is contributing to a gap in educational outcomes between boys and girls.
Resource Availability in Schools
The assessment, which involved 1,342 secondary schools and 39,298 children aged 6 to 15, reveals significant disparities in the availability of science laboratories.
- Chemistry Laboratories:
- Boys’ schools: 61.5%
- Girls’ schools: 42%
- Mixed schools: 20.6%
- Biology Laboratories:
- Boys’ schools: 51.3%
- Girls’ schools: 35.7%
- Mixed schools: 12.3%
These figures highlight the advantage boys’ schools have in terms of access to essential learning facilities.
Financial Disparities
The report also uncovered financial inequalities, noting that 4.7% of students in boys’ secondary schools received scholarships exceeding Sh30,000, while only 3.7% of girls in similar institutions benefited from such financial support.
Further, boys’ schools were found to be better equipped with ICT resources, enhancing their ability to integrate technology into learning.
Dr. Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director of Usawa Agenda, remarked that despite girls outperforming boys at the primary level, boys tend to do better in secondary education.
“Boys outperform girls at the secondary level despite girls excelling in primary school,” noted Manyasa.
He attributed this to the differential investment in boys’ and girls’ schools, favoring boys at higher education levels.
Teenage pregnancy remains a significant obstacle for girls, with 19,230 cases reported in the year before the study.
The Rift Valley region accounted for 35.8% of these cases, the highest in the country, while the North Eastern region had the lowest rate at 0.07%.
Of the girls who became pregnant, only 42.5% returned to school after giving birth.
Calls for Action
During the report’s launch, Senator Pesi Peris Tobiko, Vice Chairperson of the Senate Education Committee, emphasized the need to create opportunities for both boys and girls to pursue traditionally gendered subjects, such as STEM fields.
She expressed the Senate Committee’s appreciation for Usawa Agenda’s efforts in bridging the gap between educational policy and practice.
Dr. Purity Ngina, CEO of the National Gender & Equality Commission, echoed these sentiments, stressing the urgency for systemic changes to correct the imbalance.
She noted that the report’s statistics should provoke outrage, as the system appears to be structured to disadvantage girls, especially in terms of access to STEM education.
Conclusion
The Usawa Agenda report exposes deep-rooted inequities in Kenya’s education system, with boys’ schools receiving better resources and support than girls’ schools.
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Without targeted interventions, these disparities will continue to hinder the academic achievements and career prospects of girls across the country.
Report Reveals Gender Disparities in Educational Resources: Boys’ Schools Favored, Mixed Schools Unfavored
