Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) aims to revolutionize education by ensuring that every learner transitions smoothly from one level to the next. However, reaching a 100% transition rate to senior secondary school is still a significant hurdle, especially for students in remote and marginalized communities.
Could busing be the key to closing this gap?
Busing provides a potential solution to the impending confusion that may be experienced next year due to the number of secondary schools in Nairobi as compared to the population of students expected to transition. Busing refers to the transportation of students to schools outside their immediate residential areas to promote equal access to quality education.
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It is often used as a policy tool to address educational disparities, reduce segregation, and ensure that students, particularly those from underserved communities, can attend better-equipped schools.
Notably, the government has made impressive strides in promoting a 100% transition from primary to junior secondary school, but the leap to senior secondary presents a delicate challenge especially if boarding and gendered schools will no longer be the norm.
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Access to education
Secondary education access remains low, particularly for underserved regions, with a nationwide completion rate of 47.7%.
Issues include limited funding, lack of resources, and hidden costs of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE).
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Over 213,000 students who sat for KCPE in 2020 could not be accounted for in their KCSE of 2024, highlighting the need for efficient school busing systems and better facilitated schools in the education system.
Implementing a multi-stakeholder supported school transport system could be a game-changer. Busing would allow students from remote and/or disadvantaged areas to access quality senior secondary schools with minimal hustles. This strategy has shown success in various countries around the globe.
How other countries are doing it
In the United States, the school bus system transports over 25 million students every day, ensuring that education is accessible to all, no matter where they live.
Structured school transport programs have improved educational access and reduced dropout rates in countries like South Africa and India.
The Learner Transport Programme supported 670,000 learners by 2019, while government initiatives like India’s e-Bus aim to deploy 10,000 electric buses, benefiting millions of students.
The urgency for a structured school transport system in Kenya is necessary now that the government has declared an end to boarding schools at the senior secondary level.
With all senior schools transitioning to day schooling, students must now commute daily, making efficient transport solutions critical.
Without a reliable busing system, thousands of students will be left struggling with long and costly commutes, which could ultimately discourage school attendance and lower educational outcomes.
Nairobi’s reality
Imagine a student from Eastlands, Nairobi, who gets accepted into Nairobi School, to pursue a specific career pathway.
Without reliable transportation, this student would be stuck with long, expensive, and unpredictable daily matatu commutes, which could really impact their punctuality, focus, and overall performance.
Right now, they would need to take a matatu from Eastlands to the city centre, switch to another one heading to Westlands, and finally make their way to Nairobi School—a journey that could take up to two hours in the morning traffic.
A well-organized busing system could cut that commute time in half, helping the student arrive on time and ready to learn.
Limited choices for the underprivileged
Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) focuses more on career pathways than just academic accolades, giving students the freedom to select schools that align with their interests in areas like STEM, the arts, social sciences, or technical education.
Unfortunately, schools in informal settlements and low-resourced urban areas often struggle with inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of specialized teachers, which limits the CBC choices available to students.
This gap could prevent fair access to the advantages of the CBC education system. Implementing a well-organized school busing system could help close this divide, allowing students from marginalized and informal urban areas to reach better-equipped schools. Such a busing system can be scaled up to other contexts.
This way, the CBC can truly enhance educational opportunities instead of deepening existing inequalities.
School Busing Bill
Understanding the importance of a reliable school transport system, the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) has teamed up with the Nairobi County Assembly to push for a School Busing Bill.
This initiative is all about creating a well-organized school transport system that allows students from different parts of Nairobi to reach their schools safely and efficiently.
The initiative is currently focusing on increasing the access to quality public education for learners living in informal settlements.
These learners are forced to attend low-cost private schools which do not even benefit from government capitation.
Importantly, the proposed bill aims to set up specific bus routes for students in busy and underserved areas, cutting down on travel times and easing the strain on parents.
If it works out, it could become a blueprint for other counties facing similar issues and also facilitate the transition of the current grade nine students to senior school.
Even with its promise, rolling out a nationwide school busing system comes with its own set of logistical and financial challenges.
Who’s going to pay for it? The government’s education budget is already tight, and fuel prices are all over the place.
Plus, poor road conditions in some areas could make transportation even trickier. On top of that, keeping students safe and ensuring buses are well-maintained would need careful planning and oversight.
About the Authors
Abdimalik Farah is a PhD Candidate and a Research Officer in the Education and Youth Empowerment Research Unit at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
Charity Waweru-Mwangi is a Communications Officer at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
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