Education reform discussions in Kenya often revolve around curriculum changes, infrastructure, teacher training, and assessment. Yet one powerful force rarely gets the spotlight it deserves—the parent.
The African Population and Health Research Centre recently released ‘Becoming Better Parents: Guidelines to Parental Involvement’ to help parents support their children’s learning and holistic development.
It’s a timely and bold step toward correcting a long-standing oversight in our education system: treating parents as bystanders, rather than partners.
Any teacher will tell you that the child who shows up to school curious, confident, and well-adjusted is often the one whose parents are actively involved.
Recent research conducted in Makueni, substantiates this observation. More than 60 percent of school principals reported that parental involvement significantly influenced students’ enrollment, regular attendance, and completion of studies.
In Kenya, many parents want to get involved with their children’s education but don’t know how. Some feel unqualified because they never finished school themselves. Economic demands too stretch others to find time for homework or parent-teacher meetings.
That’s where the guidelines come in. They provide accessible, practical advice in five key areas: creating a positive home environment, understanding child development, supporting learning at home, fostering discipline and communication, and engaging with schools and the community. Importantly, they don’t assume every parent is a trained educator—they simply meet families where they are.
These are not abstract concepts. They are real-world solutions. Imagine a mother in an urban informal settlement who learns how to turn storytelling into a literacy-building activity. Or a father in Turkana who starts attending school meetings after realising his role matters.
These small shifts, multiplied across households, could transform the educational landscape in ways that no curriculum overhaul ever could. However, good intentions and guidelines are not enough. We need action. Here’s what needs to happen next.
First, parenting support should be embedded into the education system, from early childhood development centers to primary schools.
The Education ministry must partner with the counties to train community facilitators who can help deliver this content to parents.
Second, we must dismantle the myth that parental involvement is a luxury reserved for the educated or affluent. Every parent, regardless of literacy level, can learn to nurture, encourage, and support. We owe it to them to provide the tools.
Third, we must include fathers. Campaigns and workshops must target men, not just mothers, and change the narrative around caregiving.
If Kenya is serious about raising a generation of confident, curious, and competent learners, we must look beyond classrooms. The real reform begins at home.
Finally, parenting should be recognised as a cornerstone of national development. The parent-child relationship serves as a child's first school and is often the most influential in shaping their cognitive, emotional, and social growth.
Research highlights that parental behavior during a child's early years is critical for developing essential social and cognitive outcomes, laying the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being (Morris et al., 2007).
Dr. Benta A. Abuya is a Research Scientist, and Davis Muli Musyoki is a Communication Officer at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), where they support the Education and Youth Empowerment Unit
