Briefing Paper

Youth and Education: Policy Gaps Analysis

The youth as per the Kenyan Constitution 2010 are individuals who have attained the age of 18 but are not yet 35 years old. Out of the total population which stood at 48 million according to the census of 2019, youth comprise about 28%. Amongst important issues for the youth include access to education, security, employment opportunities, and access to quality healthcare. In the educational front, an individual transition from one age group to the next is critical. This calls for a shift in focus from elementary level to post-primary, which has recorded a tremendous boost in the recent past, to post-secondary educational facilities and institutions. The focus of this brief is on postsecondary education. The options available in the education system show that post-secondary education can be undertaken in various institutions; Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs), Technical, Vocational Education and Training Institution (TVETs), and Universities. Whereas these are the mainstream options, others such as Adult and Continuing Education (ACE), and Village Polytechnics (covered under TVETs) exist to offer knowledge to those who may have, for one reason or another, dropped out of primary or high school. Key among the issues to consider in view of these institutions include availability of the various facilities, number and spread of these institutions around the country, accessibility of these institutions, affordability, as well as number of tutors in these institutions with requisite knowledge to impart knowledge to their students. This brief also outlines various conclusions and proposes recommendations as pertains to improving the education sector in the country, with some specific recommendations to legislators at both levels of government.