School heads in Kenya are increasingly overwhelmed by administrative duties, limiting their ability to focus on improving foundational learning outcomes, a new report shows.
The UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report’s Spotlight Series Kenya Report 2025 reveals that institutional leaders are spending a disproportionate amount of time on non-instructional responsibilities, weakening their role as drivers of teaching and learning.
This comes on the back of findings that 40 per cent of Grade 6 learners, especially in public schools, cannot read a Grade 3–level English text or solve basic numeracy problems.
“The report underscores the need to prepare school leaders, particularly Heads of Institutions, to serve as instructional leaders who support teaching and learning—not just administrative managers,” said Martin Kungania, National Coordinator of the Kenya Primary Literacy Programme at the Ministry of Education.
The study done in 50 schools across the country found that heads of institutions spend just 22 per cent of their time on instructional support, compared to 36 per cent on administrative tasks, meetings, leadership tasks and professional training.
The rest of their time is allocated to teaching (19 percent), interaction with parents (9 percent), interactions with community (8 percent) and interaction with students (6 percent).
The findings paint a concerning picture of foundational learning, particularly in early-grade literacy and numeracy, which the report identifies as critical to long-term educational success.
Kenya Secondary School Heads Association Chairperson Willie Kuria addressing journalists in Mombasa during the 2024 International Confederation of Principals World Convention in Mombasa on August 22, 2024.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“Education leadership at every level is a catalyst for transforming education as it drives direction and shapes reforms,” UNESCO regional office director Ms Louise Haxthausen told education stakeholders at the Kenya Education Management (KEMI) international conference in Nairobi.
She noted that while Kenya’s progress in school completion rates stands out, a lot more needs to be done ensure progression, completion and meaningful learning for all.
Kenya’s primary completion rates have risen from 54 percent in 2000 to 84 percent in 2024, while secondary completion remains lower and learners complete their education later than expected.
“These realities remind us that access alone is not enough and we must ensure progression, completion and meaningful learning for all,” she said at the inaugural conference held in Nairobi.
Sampled heads of institutions admitted to feeling unprepared to support literacy and numeracy in early grades, especially when deployed without specific training in the competency-based education (CBE) or instructional leadership.
The Spotlight Series Kenya Report 2025 notes that to improve education outcomes, school leaders must focus on instructional leadership by guiding teaching practices, supporting teachers and ensuring clarity on learning objectives.
Mid-tier officials are very supportive of foundational learning; they have a challenge, which is administrative burden, limited financial capacity and overlapping mandates
Education PS Julius Bitok during the 2025 Kenya Primary School Heads Association Annual Delegates Conference in Mombasa on November 12, 2025.
Photo credit: Kevin Odit| Nation Media Group
The audit also found that the board of management focuses more on administrative and financial, and infrastructure-related matters and pays very minimal attention to the foundational outcomes.
The survey, which mainly focused on institutional leadership, further collected data from four other African countries, including Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe, for comparison.
In Kenya, the study was done in Bungoma, Nairobi, Mombasa and Tharaka Nithi to reflect the diversity of school contexts.
Aside from headteachers being bogged down with administrative and leadership roles, the study found that equally challenged are mid-tier officials and schools’ board of management (BOM) at the sub-county level, compromising their focus on foundational learning.
“Mid-tier officials are very supportive of foundational learning, however they have a challenge, which is administrative burden, limited financial capacity and overlapping mandates,” said University of Nairobi’s Prof Reuben Mutegi.
He said the findings show BOMs focus more on administrative, financial and infrastructure-related matters and pay very minimal attention to the foundational outcomes
The administrative pressures are blamed for shifting attention away from classroom supervision, teacher mentorship and monitoring learner progress, all key ingredients for improving foundational learning.
Foundational learning, especially basic literacy and numeracy, is very critical because it underpins everything else a learner will encounter in school and beyond.
