Kwale County Director of Education (CDE) Ahmed Mohamed is concerned about the declining enrollment and education completion rates among boys in the area.
He said that, over the past few years, there has been a significant decrease in the number of boys in schools, while girls’ enrollment has steadily increased.
As the KCSE examinations commenced on Monday, the county reported a total of 6,234 girls registered for the exams, compared to 5,468 boys.
Mohamed said the disparity calls for the urgent strategies to encourage more boys to pursue their education.
“If we examine our statistics regarding the enrollment of KCPE candidates, we find that more girls complete their Form Four education compared to boys,” he said, observing that girls are also superior in terms of the final grade.
Mohamed said that many boys do not sit KCSE examinations, often dropping out of school by Form Three or failing to transition to secondary school altogether.
He said family issues and poverty are major factors contributing to boys abandoning their education.
Mohamned said a lot of young men, facing life challenges, turn to the boda boda industry and beach activities as a way to escape their harsh realities and support their families, further jeopardizing their educational aspirations.
The director acknowledged the commendable efforts made by various organizations to empower girls through education but stressed the need for equal support for boys.
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Mohamed said that NGOs should ensure both boys and girls receive balanced attention and assistance.
He noted that currently, many initiatives focus primarily on empowering girls, often leaving boys behind.
“We have seen many mentorship and empowerment programmes are directed toward girls and that’s where the problem comes,” he said.
On KCSE, he reported that the county has a total of 120 exam centres, comprising 104 public and 16 private institutions.
Additionally, 69 individuals are registered as private candidates and are taking their exams at Kwale St. Mary’s High School Seminary.
By Shaban Omar
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