The last Kenya census conducted in 2019 revealed a lot of vulnerable groups with unequal access to opportunity as compared to the general population. Six major groups in particular stood out; women, children, people living with disabilities (PLWD), rural folk and people living in arid and semi-arid areas (ASARs) in the north and north eastern part of Kenya.
This notebook narrows the lens to ASARs as a region and in particular looks at education in these areas.
Education in ASARs is not at a similar level as compared to other parts. For instance, though data related to school dropout rates is missing, the reader will be keen to notice that dropout rate increases the further you move away from the middle part of the country in general. The reasons for the higher dropout rate can be explained using one word, priorities. Children are required to tend to other activities involving income generation, like tending to cattle, which leaves them at a disadvantage.
A snippet of the school dropout data is shown below:
| counties | dropout | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Lamu | 17.4 |
| 1 | Taita Taveta | 15.4 |
| 2 | Meru | 21.0 |
| 3 | Tharaka Nithi | 22.6 |
| 4 | Embu | 23.1 |
ASARs (Arid and Semi-Arid Regions) collectively have the highest dropout rates.
Looking at this problem from another point of view, let us consider the attainment of education in each county as a percentage of the national total.