Sustainable Development Goal for Education: The Case of Kenya’s Efforts towards Universal Basic Education

Abstract

The agenda for education globally is currently being driven by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among the seventeen goals, education’s SGD4 is a stand-alone goal whose priority Target One, articulates that by year 2030, all girls and boys should complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. Kenya has strived towards this target of promoting access to education at these two levels through various approaches. This is arrived at through waiver of tuition fees, subsidies and putting in place other policies among them one hundred percent Transition policy so as to increase access to basic education at these two levels. However, even with tremendous growth in enrolments at primary school levels, not all of them complete primary school cycle. In addition, the transition to secondary school level is still a challenge, since out of those who complete primary school level, not everyone proceeds with education. On the other hand, transition rates to secondary school for boys and girls indicates that inequality still abound. This paper documents the extent to which Kenya has promoted twelve years of Universal Basic Education, the trends for Primary to Secondary Transition Rates (PSTR) from year 2011 to 2022, and establish the differences in transition rates between boys and girls. Lastly the obstacles that impede transition of pupils from primary to secondary school level, hence impacting on achievement of universal Basic education.