Why boarders outshine day-scholars

By Wachira Kigotho

Founding President Jomo Kenyatta went to a boarding school. So did his successor Daniel arap Moi and current President Mwai Kibaki. A large number of past and present cabinet ministers also went to boarding schools.

A galaxy of high-ranking Government officials, business, political and religious leaders also attended boarding schools. So what is special about graduates of boarding schools? Is the education curriculum in boarding schools superior to that offered in day schools? Are teachers in boarding schools of higher quality?

While those questions remain unanswered, most parents are interested to know of the missing link between boarding and day schools in the education system. Dr Felistus Kinyanjui, an education researcher at Egerton University, says private academies, many of which are boarding primary schools, excel in the KCPE and send most of their pupils to top national secondary schools.

Ranking indices

The trend continues in secondary schooling where performance in the KCSE is dominated by boarding students. Ranking indices from the Kenya National Examinations Council show year after year, almost 100 per cent of the 150 top schools in KCSE board. Eventually, students from those schools dominate admissions to high profile degree programmes in public universities.

Since the introduction of western education by Christian missionaries and the colonial government, boarding schools have dictated the quality of education. Boarding schools such as Alliance, Maseno, Mang’u, Alliance Girls’, Starehe Boys, Precious Blood, Riruta high schools have led in academic performance.

Apart from Strathmore and Kianda schools, it is hard to remember any other day schools that have ever out-performed some of the best boarding institutions. But more worrying is that although the trend is predictable, little has been done to resolve the issue.

Heavy investment

Originally designed as perfect tools for evangelisation, boarding schools gradually attained the status of providing systematic and quality education. Given the Government’s inability to provide residential schooling at primary level, the role has been taken over by educational entrepreneurs who have invested heavily on boarding schools.

Statistics show boarding primary schools are doing far much better in comparison to any category of day primary schools.

However, good performance in boarding schools is associated to discipline and systematic organisation of their studies. According to the Association of Boarding Schools in the US students in boarding schools find schoolwork more challenging than the day scholars. "Over 90 per cent of boarding students think work is hard compared to 70 per cent at day schools," says the associations report on schools.

Other studies indicate most boarding school students are prepared for university education compared to those in day schools.

Boarding school graduates also earn advanced degrees in higher numbers compared to those who attend day schools. University dropout rates among boarding school graduates are also very low.

The issue is that students at boarding schools have a better educational experience in secondary school than students of similar academic profile in day schools.

A close examination of the 817 candidates who scored mean grade of A in KCSE last year showed most of them were from boarding schools while most of the 7,000 candidates who scored the mean grade of E were from day schools. Graduates of boarding schools appear to be self-driven and many of them work harder and do not give up quickly as non-boarders. Researchers attribute this aspect to habits obtained while attending boarding schools.

Learning time

"Boarders spend most of their time learning and performing organised duties," says a secondary school teacher in Nairobi.

Normally, class sizes in boarding schools are smaller and students are able to pursue their academic interests without harassment observed in overcrowded day school classrooms.

Exceptional boarding schools such as Starehe Boys and Alliance impart leadership skills and their alumni are found in top levels of Kenya’s political, business and professional landscape. Unlike students in day schools who live at home, boarders do not have time to be bored. During the week, they are up before 6am to get ready for breakfast and a normal day of school. "When the normal school day is done, they have an hour or two of compulsory activities.

 

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