Educational Inequality and Its Political and Economic Consequences: A Case Study of Nigeria and Kenya (original) (raw)
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Addressing education inequality in sub-Saharan Africa
African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 2019
This paper examines the impact of wealth inequality on education inequality in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, including by decomposing inequality across gender. Specifically, it analyzes the impact of wealth concentration on the distribution of educational attainment using a sample of cross-sectional data from the USAID Demographic Health Survey on 25 countries, and deploying the education inequality Gini, generalized Lorenz curve, and Lorenz concentration curve. Educational attainment and wealth index were estimated to capture education inequality and wealth concentration. The findings confirm that social exclusion has remained chronic in SSA. Apart from Zimbabwe, SSA have not only failed to raise incidence levels of secondary and tertiary education, but also have largely been unable to reduce education inequality. Regardless of oil and gas endowments, investments going to education have remained low in these countries, while gender disparity on educational attainment burdening females has been high in Nigeria, Gambia, Ghana and Guinea. With the exception of Comoros, wealth concentration is the prime cause of education inequality in the remaining countries. The findings call for effective policies for the poor and females to raise their education levels thereby enabling them to earn incomes to break the vicious cycle of education inequality caused by wealth inequality.
2020
Access to education is one of the basic rights of a child. This right has been hampered in Kenya by social-economic factors beyond the control of disadvantaged communities. The imbalances in resource distribution has resulted not only in limited access to education but poor transition for children from poor and marginalized communities. Although the government at independence identified poverty, ignorance, and disease as the three enemies of development, little has been done to ensure equal access to education for all children. Where attempts have been made, poor planning has negated the gains made. This paper recommends for affirmative actions to be undertaken to reduce the existing inequalities. © 2020 Elixir All rights reserved. Elixir Leadership Mgmt. 144 (2020) 54509-54512 Leadership Management Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) John Kitur/ Elixir Leadership Mgmt. 144 (2020) 54509-54512 54510 compared to North Eastern Province which had ...
The Role of Education in Economic Development: A Comparative Study of Nigeria and Kenya
Greener Journal of Social Sciences, 2024
Education is a transforming factor in economic growth because it gives people the information and skills that spur innovation, productivity, and general social advancement. Two of the biggest economies in Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, have made considerable changes to their educational institutions to promote economic expansion. But even with these reforms, obstacles including poor infrastructure, restricted access, and insufficient government money still stand in the way of development. This study examines how education affects economic growth in Kenya and Nigeria, paying particular attention to how the distinct political, cultural, and historical backgrounds of each nation affect educational achievements. This study highlights opportunities for improvement while identifying important educational policies and initiatives that have successfully supported economic growth through a comparative analysis. It considers the larger implications of education as an instrument for national transformation, drawing on theological viewpoints, and makes the case that real growth must be in line with moral and ethical principles. In the end, the research suggests a more integrated strategy, stressing that education may act as a catalyst for long-term, sustainable economic growth when it is in line with spiritual principles.
Ethnic inequalities in education in Kenya
International Education Journal, 2004
This paper uses Kenya's survey data to explore ethnic inequalities in education in Kenya. It focuses on some ethnic groups that may have resources and opportunities as a result of their geographical location and ethnic proximity to the ruling elite. The factors examined to explain potential educational inequalities among ethnic groups include the Gross Enrolment Ratios, the number of schools, and the number of qualified teachers. The results suggest a close correspondence of differentials between inequalities in education and ethnic affiliation to the ruling elite. Relatively small, clearly defined ethnic groups have accumulated an advantage over the majority in the national population, in terms of the education infrastructure and resources. Based on these results, this paper argues that ethnicity should be placed at the forefront of analyses of educational development in Kenya, as well as in policy efforts to reduce inequalities in education.
Quaestiones Geographicae, Volume 32, Issue 2, Pages 51–68,, 2013
Regional development planning/management responds to needs for preventing inequality among regions within nations characterised by multi-culturality and variation among regions, through planning/management of appropriate programmes and policies. This paper examines inequality in development in two of Nigeria’s states in the geographical south eastern and political South-South. Historical conflicts among various ethno-cultural groups constituting Nigeria culminates in violence (e.g. civil war –fought with Ibo (socio-cultural group)’ programme of seceding from Nigeria’s federation to found Biafra - between 1967 and 1970), among others issues are reviewed. Despite Nigeria’s tragic civil war, inequality persists. We examine inequality resulting from systematic implementation of policies/programmes of Nigeria’s Federal Government institutions that marginalise Cross River State. Using the methods of comparative analysis and descriptive case study, we show the consequences on Cross River State’s human capital development of marginalisation policies implemented either solely by the Federal Government of Nigeria or in collaboration (i.e. with the latter’s support to Akwa Ibom State). The specific acts of marginalisation referred to here include: the recent ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula –a part of Cross River State- to the Republic of Cameroun since 2005; and more recently (in 2009) another ceding of 76 oil wells hitherto belonging to Cross River State to Akwa Ibom State. We argue that, strengthened by marginalising/polarising policies (higher revenue allocation based on derivation principle of oil production), Akwa Ibom’s ongoing implementation of free education policy promises to facilitate its achievement of millennium development goals on basic education by 2015 beyond which it might attain disproportionately higher levels of tertiary educational attainment by 2024 and thereafter. Contrastingly, contrived dwindling of oil revenue accruing to Cross River State deprives it from funding competitive human capital development programme(s). We recommend that Cross River State employs serious monitoring of marginalising schemes against its people considering recent traumatising experience, and plan/implement human capital development programmes aimed to improve its competitiveness under the context of intra-regional inequality. Keywords: Inequality, sub-national, region, marginalization, competitiveness, human capital, development, states.
Governance, Inequality and Inclusive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Forthcoming: Forum for Social Economics, 2020
The study provides thresholds of income inequality that if exceeded will nullify the positive effect of governance dynamics on gender-inclusive education in 42 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2004-2014. The Generalised Method of Moments is used as an estimation strategy. The following findings are established. First, the unconditional effects of governance dynamics on inclusive education are consistently positive whereas the corresponding conditional effects from the interaction between inequality and governance dynamics are consistently negative. Second, the levels of inequality that completely crowd-out the positive incidence of governance on inclusive “primary and secondary education” are: 0.587 for the rule of law and 0.565 for corruption-control. Third, the levels of inequality that completely dampen the positive incidence of governance on inclusive “secondary education” are: 0.601 for “voice & accountability” and 0.700 for regulation quality. Fourth, for tertiary education, inequality thresholds are respectively 0.568 for political stability and 0.562 for corruption-control. The main policy implication is that for governance dynamics to promote inclusive education in the sampled countries, income inequality levels should be kept within the established thresholds. Other implications are discussed in the light of Sustainable Development Goals.
Education and Development: Dynamics of Access, Equity, and Social Justice in Nigeria
Widening access to education as social justice is basic in any discourse on educational investment, growth and development in developing country such as Nigeria. Presently, there is disconnect between educational development expectations and public policy frameworks designed to drive the united nations sustainable development goals(SDGs) in 2030 through access, equity and social justice in educational provision in developing countries. This paper focuses on education and development deficits in the light of the challenges of ensuring access, equity and social justice as envisaged in the SDGs 169 targets. The paper adopted a qualitative research method as it is analytical in framework. Among other things, this study showed the elements of exclusions and inequalities which are prevalent in public policies that are meant to achieve sustainable development goals through education. The paper sustains that inequalities, corruption, leadership deficit and weak institutions among others constitute major obstacles to access and social justices in educational delivery in Nigeria. Also, financial and information poverties respectively were found to have accounted for sustained deprivation indexes in access to educational development which compromise access, equity and social justice for sustainable development in developing countries. Recommendations are made on ways to mitigate exclusionary factors on access, equity and social justice in educational development in developing countries.
The study was carried to determine how poverty influence educational outcome in Turkana County, establish major causes of poverty in Turkana County and assess poverty alleviation mechanisms advanced by the government. Data was collected by use of structured questionnaire, interview guide, focused group discussions and documentary analysis. The focus was on performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Turkana County (with 87.5 % poverty incidence) in comparison with Kiambu County (with 24.2 % poverty incidence). The findings of the study revealed that poverty has adversely affected educational outcome in Turkana County while Kiambu County perform well. The cause of poverty in Turkana County is attributed to erratic weather, long droughts, insecurity and inadequate development.
Education and Poverty, Relationship and Concerns. A Case for Kenya
Problems of education in the 21st century, 2011
Poverty has many dimensions and does not merely entail low levels of income or expenditure. According to Sen (1992), poverty is the lack of capability to function effectively in society. Inadequate education can thus be considered a form of poverty. Education is widely accepted as the main exit route from poverty. It is the backbone of growth and development of individuals and the nation. However, its achievement continues to elude many who are poverty stricken. This paper articulates the issues of education and poverty which is related to that of chicken-egg relationships. The study used secondary data from eight provinces in Kenya. The study correlated the poverty headcount with the educational indicators. It emerged from the data that provinces which had less poverty levels (Central-30.4% and Nairobi 29.5%) experienced high literacy rate, high enrolment and low dropout rate, while regions which had higher levels of poverty headcount (North Eastern-73.9% and Coast-69.7%) experienced low literacy rates, and poor academic performance. The study Concluded that extreme poor are denied access to education, poverty hampers learning in developing countries through poor nutrition, health, home circumstances, quality, costs and inadequate resources for education. The study recommends the government to introduce/re-introduce/ strengthen school feeding programme, subsidize school uniform and address the issues of opportunity cost for the extreme poor among others.
Education Inequality in West African Countries: Does Investment in Education Matter?
2018
The paper examines whether education investment has an impact on the high quantity of education inequality in the West African (WA) countries. The paper considers inflation as a constraint to government capability to invest in education. In consequence, the study used a balanced panel data of twelve countries where education inequality is the dependent variable, and that education index serves as a proxy for education inequality since it is a measure of disparity regarding human development. The research used panel time series data from Human Development Indicators and World Bank databases, with panel data analytical techniques. The data have 16 data points that covered 1999 to 2014 with a total sample size of 192. With the presence of missing completely at random (MCAR) of the data, expectation maximisation (EM) technique was employed to replace the missing values. Although existing official data indicated that the governments of the WA countries invested 4.58% of the gross domesti...