THE SCHOOL
Roots Institute Centre is a community school located in the second biggest slum in Kenya, Mathare.
Key school information:
- 350 Pupils from 3 to 15 years old.
- 52% Boys & 48 % Girls.
- 11 Classrooms: One class per level – BabyClass, PP1, PP2, Grade 1 to Grade 8.
- 14 Staff members: 1 School Director, 11 Teachers (6 women and 5 men), 1 cook and 1 social worker.
You can find below an overview of how the school looks like :
The Kenyan Education System
The Kenyan education system is based on a cycle of 8-4-4 starting at the age of 4 years old: eight years of primary education (Grade 1 to Grade 8) , four years of secondary education (High school) and four years of University.
At the end of the primary education, Grade 8 pupils sit for national examination – The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). The exam time takes three days and runs the last week of November.
The subjects examined are Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Sciences, Social Studies, and Religious Education. Each subject is worth a maximum of 100 marks. Each candidate is therefore able to earn a maximum of 500 marks. If by chance someone gets over 400 marks they are admitted to a government sponsored school.
The pupils pick their favourite high schools before they sit for KCPE, and based on their performance, they get to join their choices – or not and be eligible for gouvernment sponsorships.
Roots Institute Centre in pictures
