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Journalist · Kenya
Mary Mwakoma is a passionate journalist with strong interest in writing and research. Over the years, she has done stories both features and news that were published in Kenyan newspapers. Her research and writing interest focus on history, politics, health, climate, health and the social sciences. Through journalism, she aims to explore important societal issues and produce meaningful stories that inform, educate and inspire communities.
Abstract Education is one of the key factors of a child's future opportunities and social mobility. Although Kenya has been implementing various educational reforms for decades to increase access to quality education, socioeconomic and geographical factors continue to play a major role in determining access in the country. This article puts forward the view that poverty, gender differences and unequal distribution of education resources are responsible for the perpetuation of educational inequalities in Kenya. The study builds on Karl Marx's Conflict Theory and explores how current social and economic inequalities persist and stifle the educational opportunities and outcomes of less privileged learners. The article examines some of the challenges faced, including low infrastructure, low teacher numbers, unequal funding, and high drop-out rates among children from low-income families, using secondary data sourced from government reports, international organizations and scholarly literature. The study shows that while education reforms have led to greater enrollment, structural socio-economic inequalities remain to be a threat to equal access to quality education in Kenya.