Education and poverty in Kenya: a district level analysis

The main research question addressed in this paper is to assess whether theories in the education literature on enrollment, absenteeism and drop out in developing countries are consistent with district-level data in Kenya. One of the central issues that emerges is poverty, as it impacts both the supply and demand side of education, and is discussed as both a cause and consequence of lack of education. This project seeks to explore to what extent poverty is correlated with enrollment rates, attendance, dropouts, educational attainment, and literacy rates in district-level data in Kenya, also considering the impact of gender. In addition, this paper analyzes the reasons given for children not being enrolled in school by district. The findings in this paper suggest that: Kenya’s focus on access and Free Primary Education is well founded, promoting female education can be a means of alleviating poverty, and feeding programs and adult education may be successful ways to promote demand.