Report: Children under single mothers more likely to miss school in Kenya

A new report has revealed that children living in female-headed households in Kenya are more likely to be out of school, raising concerns over widening education inequalities among vulnerable families.

The study by Usawa Agenda found that girls who are out of school remain among the most vulnerable groups, with significantly higher risks of early pregnancy compared to those still in education.

“No child is more disadvantaged than a girl out of school — an out-of-school teenage girl is 12 times as likely as her in-school counterpart to suffer early pregnancy,” the report states.

According to the findings, children raised in female-headed households are more likely to miss out on education compared to those in other family settings.

However, the report notes a different trend within refugee communities, where children living in male-headed households were found to be more likely to be out of school.

The study further established a strong link between parental education levels and school attendance.

“A child in a household headed by an adult without formal education is almost 10 times as likely to be out of school as his or her counterpart in a household headed by at least a degree holder,” the report says.

The findings also indicate that disability marginally increases the likelihood of school exclusion among boys, with a boy living with any form of disability being one percent more likely to be out of school than a girl with a disability.

The report highlights the growing prevalence of single motherhood in Kenya, estimating that about 15 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 are single mothers, while nearly 30 percent of urban households in Nairobi and Mombasa are headed by women.

According to the study, single motherhood is increasingly driven by factors such as abandonment, divorce and teenage pregnancies, with many affected women facing financial hardship.

The report estimates that more than 65 percent of single mothers work in the informal sector and earn approximately 40 percent less than their married counterparts, increasing the risk of educational disruption for children under their care.

The research, conducted between June and July 2025, also revealed disparities within Kenya’s teaching workforce, showing that the profession becomes increasingly male-dominated at higher education levels.

Women account for 58 percent of teachers in primary schools, 51 percent in junior schools and only 43 percent in senior schools, according to the findings.

Additionally, science and mathematics subjects at senior school level are largely taught by male teachers across boys’, girls’ and mixed schools.

The report further flagged persistent inequalities in learning resources, noting that senior boys’ schools continue to enjoy an advantage over girls’ schools in access to educational materials and facilities.