The impact of free primary education on access to early childhood education in Kajiado County

Abstract

Early childhood education in Kenya serves the critical purpose of preparing young children for primary education. Notwithstanding the associated benefits for society as a whole, the government of Kenya is involved minimally. Indeed, parents are responsible for planning, developing and managing different early childhood programs. Consequently, problems such as funding and lack of program consistency are common because early childhood programs are essential, the government should be involved actively in the development and implementation process.

ECDE in Kenya targets children 0-8 years old. According to the established guidelines, all children from before birth to eight years of age qualify for early childhood education. Although children in these age groups usually have similar needs such as 'nutrition, health, nurturance, protection, stimulation and training', children in different parts of Kenya have unique needs. For example, children from marginalized groups, usually in arid and semi-arid regions, need special attention due to the severe drought conditions that affect these regions from time to time, thus impacting negatively on the availability of nutritious diets. To meet such specific needs, the government and other non-governmental organizations usually provide additional help for these targeted groups.