A growing number of public secondary schools in Kenya are facing an enrolment crisis, with nearly one in three operating with fewer than 150 students. This trend is straining government resources, limiting the effective deployment of teachers, and raising questions about the long-term viability of some institutions.
William Sugut, who heads the Directorate of Secondary Education, warned that low student numbers in schools pose serious challenges as the country rolls out the Competency-Based Education system for senior classes.
“We have a total of 9,605 public secondary schools, and 2,700 of them have an enrolment of less than 150 learners,” Sugut said in an interview with Citizen TV. He added that the Ministry of Education plans to engage stakeholders to determine whether these schools meet government objectives and whether teachers are being fully utilised.
“The Ministry of Education will hold discussions, in consultation with stakeholders, to assess the viability of these schools,” he said, stressing that while increasing access to education is a priority, careful evaluation of school sustainability is necessary to ensure resources are used effectively.
Experts say the surge in small, often unplanned schools has worsened the teacher shortage, particularly in remote areas. Emmanuel Manyasa, Executive Director of Usawa Agenda, noted that having multiple small schools in one locality creates staffing pressures, as each requires the same number of teachers regardless of student numbers.
“In some small areas, you find many public schools, each with only a few learners but all requiring the same number of teachers,” Manyasa explained. He added that children in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) face long journeys to school, sometimes forcing even young students into boarding arrangements.
“In some areas, the nearest school is 50 kilometres away. Children as young as seven have to board because it is impossible to commute daily,” he said.
John Mugo, Chief Executive Officer of Zizi Afrique Foundation, said North Eastern Kenya needs tailored interventions, including training and incentivising locals to join the teaching profession. He stressed that this approach would improve teacher retention and support the nationwide implementation of the CBE system.
“Teachers are not meeting the minimum number of lessons required per week. This forces a difficult choice: either collapse such small schools to enable teacher sharing, or implement strategies for nearby schools to share teachers, especially for practical subjects that require fewer lessons,” Mugo said.
He also warned that schools with fewer than 300 students are financially unsustainable, while the low enrolment exposes broader challenges such as inadequate science and computer laboratories and unequal teacher distribution across regions. Stakeholders urged the government to address these gaps to ensure a fair and effective education system for all students.
