There were few schools for Native Africans except those run by the church mission before Kenyan won it’s independence from Great Britain. The government has spent a great sum of money to build schools and train teachers since 1964.
School is not compulsory in Kenya, but more than 80 percent of the children now spend at least 3 years in primary school. Primary school begins at age six continues for seven years.
There is a small tuition for school except for the first three years which are free. Only about one teenager out of seven manage to go on to high school. Many of those who complete four years of high school go on to college.
Students that attend college usually attend the University of Nairobi, or smaller college that train for jobs in teaching, health care and business.
Private groups have funded schools. These schools are called self-help or harambee, schools. This originated because the government could not provide enough schools or teachers. Volunteers from Europe and the United States help bring schools to remote regions of the country.
Harambee High Schools out number the government - operated high schools. Students are taught similar to those taught all over the world: reading, writing, geography, math, history and science.
Kenya has a high percentage of literate people about 70 percent. This is high for a newly independent nation.