Makini Schools and Brookhouse School, Nova Pioneer... all sold to international firms in the last few years

[Simiyu22]

@Purple

I know of a guy who went to Nova Pioneer thereafter jkuat. Since graduating, it has been a life of hustling. This kid has been taught he was special all his life so boy child has had it rough. I think if you’re going to expose your kids to an elite HS education it’s important you leave some money aside for an equally amazing college. Otherwise they could have a tough time adjusting to a kawaida life.

Exactly what Im trying to tell @M2Random. Some of those kids are completely sheltered from real life at home. I saw them struggle even in Trumpistan once they graduated. To the point they were being recalled home. And then it got worse at home. What I saw was generally 3 levels. Uber Rich where it will take 3 to 5 generations to corrode the wealth , think UK and the likes. Newly Super Rich . And the rich who eg are people with really good NGO jobs or successful business people. If your dad was not in the first 2 categories, problems arise. A regular child simply adapts. But the spoiled ones have big problems in life.

[Okwonkwo]

@Mjuaji

Kenyan schools tend to feature large classes and rote-learning.

I was curious what this means and had to Google:

Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning.

[His_Excellency]

@Mjuaji

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman][COLOR=rgb(209, 72, 65)]Elite private schools are booming in Kenya[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]And they will change the country[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]https://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/images/print-edition/20180623_MAP001_0.jpg
The Economist | Middle East and Africa[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]Jun 21st 2018| NAIROBI[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]LAST year stories appeared in the press, illustrated by pictures of bloody clothing, of an initiation ceremony at Alliance High School outside Nairobi, in which boys were beaten and made to lie on the founders’ graves. The country was shocked, in part because Alliance is regarded as one of the country’s top schools, and the headmaster resigned. The scandal has hastened a shift that is changing Kenyan education.
Alliance, which sits in wooded grounds in Kikuyu, a small town north-west of Nairobi, was founded in 1926 by missionaries to educate bright Africans and, by selecting boys from all the country’s regions and tribes, to build a country. After independence in 1963 it became one of Kenya’s “national” schools, similar to Britain’s selective state “grammar” schools. Eight ministers in the post-independence cabinet in 1963 were Alliance old boys. Alumni still proliferate in the top ranks of the professions, government and business.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]On a hilltop 20 miles to the east are the Nova Pioneer boys’, girls’ and primary schools. They were founded in 2015 by Chris Khaemba, headmaster of Alliance from 1998-2007. Secondary-school fees are 500,000 shillings a year ($4,945). At Alliance, tuition is free; boarding fees are 54,000 shillings a year.
The pupils at both establishments have similarly impeccable manners and many come from similarly prosperous backgrounds. But they reflect the past and future of Kenyan elite education.
In the past, rich Kenyans tended to send their children to private primary schools, in the expectation that they would do well enough to get a place in a national school and thus a free, rigorous secondary education. But in recent years, several things have changed.
One is the growth of a class of prosperous Kenyans, many of whom take foreign holidays, clog Nairobi’s streets with 4x4 cars and have novel views about education. Kenyan schools tend to feature large classes and rote-learning. At Nova Pioneer, classes are smaller—32 pupils, on average—and more participatory. “Many parents want a wholesome experience that isn’t just drilling,” says Rose Nduati, the head teacher of Nova Pioneer Girls. “We’re being taught coding,” says Stacey Wanyoike, a Year 10 student. “I find that really cool. And in the other lessons, you’re not just reading notes, you’re taking part.”
Government policy is encouraging the growth of private schools. The state is committed to providing free secondary education for all, and although that has not yet been fully implemented, rising grants from central government have brought fees down. Pupil numbers have therefore been increasing. At Alliance they have doubled in the past decade, to 1,600, and class sizes have increased from an average of 42 to 50-55. “We are a little bit stretched,” says James Kinyanjui Kuria, Alliance’s deputy head. A new curriculum may reduce the rote element in state education, but there are fears that teachers are not prepared, so it may put a further strain on state schools.
Duncan Olumbe, an Alliance alumnus, decided that his son Roy should not follow him to his old school. Roy was put off by the stories of bullying; Mr Olumbe and his wife liked the ways of Nova Pioneer and thought that “the transition from a private primary to an overcrowded [state secondary] may be a bit difficult.” He is pleased with his investment, but some customers are trickier. “Most parents are middle-class [by which Kenyans mean the top 2% or so]. Catering to the needs of a very discerning demographic brings with it a certain element of challenge,” says Charles Tsuma, the head of Nova Pioneer Boys, delicately.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]Super Nova[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]Nova Pioneer has plenty of competition: in 2013-17 the number of private primary schools almost doubled and the number of private secondaries rose by half. Some schools are said to be struggling, especially at the top end of the market (1m-2.5m shillings a year) which is beyond the reach of all but the richest Kenyans, and therefore relies to a large extent on expats.
Supply is growing to meet demand, thanks in part to international capital. Education has a particular appeal to long-term investors, for children are locked in for up to 12 years. Growth prospects are good because governments are not satisfying the rising demand for good education. And the regulatory environment for private schools in the three big African markets, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya, is generally favourable. That is not the case everywhere: in India, for instance, which would otherwise be a very attractive market, although private schools are proliferating, for-profit education is banned.
Nova Pioneer, which was formed through a merger between Mr Khaemba’s schools and a South African chain, is financed by Fairfax Africa, a Canadian fund. ADvTECH, a South African chain, bought Makini, a group of nine schools in Kenya and Uganda, earlier this year. In 2015 Brookhouse, a posh Kenyan school, was bought by Inspired, an international chain, which then opened a new campus.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]The growth of the business has implications for society. The old system had its virtues: although, over time, it was captured by the elite, in its early days it gave poor clever children from far-flung areas a chance, and helped build the idea of a nation. The private schools will encourage social stratification by allowing well-off parents to buy their children educational and thus professional advantage, as happens in Britain and America. Kenya may follow the same path as Brazil and Argentina, where a shift into private education in the 1970s and 1980s led to neglect of the public sector. But the trend will also mean more investment in schools, a better, more questioning, education and an increased flow of Kenyans into universities abroad.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=5][FONT=times new roman]And, in its way, the new model of elite education brings together people from different parts of society. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=7][FONT=times new roman][COLOR=rgb(226, 80, 65)]Wilson Sossion, for instance, the head of the teachers’ union, who has been campaigning for the closure of the low-cost Bridge International Academies (see article) sends his children to Brookhouse, which charges 1m shillings a year.[/FONT][/SIZE]

At times these stategic partners are not good, they will go on expansion spree alafu wakuambie utoe pesa…if at all you don’t have ina bidii ume peana some of your shares. By the time una realize ume peana shares kama zako zote

[grandpa]

These comments are just funny. Why are we only talking about doom when a lot of these kids have gone and actually grown the wealth that their parents left them. Some simple examples

1. Uhuru Kenyatta && Muhoho. Started with mostly land, now they own one of the largest banks in the country plus the largest milk company in East Africa. Looted more just like the father
2. Jimmy Wanjigi. Grew to become the largest powerbroker in the country
3. Raila Odinga. - Like his peer Uhuru. He also looted more like his father
4. The Atul Shah - grew his father’s company to become the largest supermarket in the country
5. Rai paper indians
6. That slain Bobmill guy
7. Chandaria’s children are also busy growing the empire.
8. Vimah Shah grew his dads company to become one of the largest privately owned firms in the country(40bn annual revenues)
9. The Madhvani family - Largest sugar company in Uganda. Family was chased out during the Idi Amin era and when they returned they came back and just dominated
10. Naushad Merali came from wealthy family but still went on to become an actual billionaire

The reason wealth crumbles down from generation to the next is not only influenced by management of the wealth and definitely which school you attend has the least to do with it lol !!!
It mostly has to do with consolidation of wealth.

Case Study
When the business person dies, the pie is divided to his children. These children have husbands and wives who now also get a say in how the business is managed. So if a business is started by 1 person and divided equally amongst 3 children. We have 7 people managing the same company; the mother and the kids plus their spouses. We have not even considered that some portion of the wealth will be donated to the brothers and sisters which is often the case.

If each of these new 3 families of the kids have two kids per family, we have 3*2=6 children and their spouses 6. Now an extra 12 people have a say his the management of the business. Which brings us to 19 people. These people have different opinions on how the business is run, which new opportunities to exploit etc.

Locally, Indians are the only families that have stood the test of time but even for them 3rd generation is next to impossible. e.g. The Mehta Group - Uganda was started in 1900 and now has over 15k employees, Madhvani family started their business in 1912. This can be attributed to close knight family customs where everybody just lives together under one big house. Parents, kids and their spouses, grandchildren etc. Hence people learn to live together and resolve conflicts much faster. Also it makes it harder for incoming spouses to ruin the business by dividing the new heirs and poisoning them with new ideas or how they should get bigger pies or roles etc coz they kids are micromanaged by the folks until death.

[system]

You mean Sossion doesn’t bring his children to the same public schools he actively destroys every single day?? That guy is a hypocrite through and through. It’s like urinating in the village river because you drink Dasani at home
In some countries a disgruntled parent would go for his head

[grandpa]

Another big reason why truly wealthy people send children to prestigious schools is the problems rich folk have.

1. Kidnapping - I am sure most of us and our folks had no fear of our kids getting grabbed for extortion(businesswise or political wise).
2. Society Pressure - I went to a popular national school with some kids from extremely rich kids. These people are just hustled for small cash by everyone ALL the damn time(teachers who want to endear themselves to the folks for private tuition, peasant young folks like myself and informal labour). Everyone wants something. Makes it hard even for the rich kids that want to actually focus on education to actually excel.
   Also a lot of these kids have very different problems that we cannot relate to.

[girlciki93]

@grandpa

Another big reason why truly wealthy people send children to prestigious schools is the problems rich folk have.

1. Kidnapping - I am sure most of us and our folks had no fear of our kids getting grabbed for extortion(businesswise or political wise).
2. Society Pressure - I went to a popular national school with some kids from extremely rich kids. These people are just hustled for small cash by everyone ALL the damn time(teachers who want to endear themselves to the folks for private tuition, peasant young folks like myself and informal labour). Everyone wants something. Makes it hard even for the rich kids that want to actually focus on education to actually excel.
   Also a lot of these kids have very different problems that we cannot relate to.

You’re so naive. The one and only reason you have stratification in schools is to cultivate your desired social network. Maybe you’re an actual grandpa but in schools your classmates are typically from the same socioeconomic standing.

Where you go to school determines your professional network more than any other thing. This of course affects opportunities that come your way and your earning potential or Achievement you attain. That’s why there’s this elite schools for the rich in Kenya and on other level a dude like UK is taken to study abroad.

Education has never really been about learning because the technical skills are the same. It’s about signalling. If you are from USIU I’m biased to perceive you differently than if you say you went to, for example, TUK. It’s all signalling.

Poor people and middle class ones get a chance later in life with this by going for their postgraduate Degree. They pay for a chance to level up their networks and some don’t even know it. Rich kids do it at high school and undergrad level.

[girlciki93]

@Yunomi

You mean Sossion doesn’t bring his children to the same public schools he actively destroys every single day?? That guy is a hypocrite through and through. It’s like urinating in the village river because you drink Dasani at home
In some countries a disgruntled parent would go for his head

It’s the same way you clear the road for mheshimiwa and think he will sort public transport issues or road congestion. LOL pathetic.

[girlciki93]

@Okwonkwo

I was curious what this means and had to Google:

Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning.

Yeah, it supresses creativity, innovation and new thinking in students. That is why all stalls in the CBD sell the same trinkets

[grandpa]

@girlciki93

You’re so naive. The one and only reason you have stratification in schools is to cultivate your desired social network. Maybe you’re an actual grandpa but in schools your classmates are typically from the same socioeconomic standing.

Where you go to school determines your professional network more than any other thing. This of course affects opportunities that come your way and your earning potential or Achievement you attain. That’s why there’s this elite schools for the rich in Kenya and on other level a dude like UK is taken to study abroad.

Education has never really been about learning because the technical skills are the same. It’s about signalling. If you are from USIU I’m biased to perceive you differently than if you say you went to, for example, TUK. It’s all signalling.

Poor people and middle class ones get a chance later in life with this by going for their postgraduate Degree. They pay for a chance to level up their networks and some don’t even know it. Rich kids do it at high school and undergrad level.

Basically what I was saying. Education has very little do with building wealth plus rich kids cannot thrive in a public school setting since their future is not premised on education. That is why famous people in the UK will have their kids go to Eton etc and world leaders and global business magnates will have their kids socialize on an international level at expensive Swiss school which are the epitome of private schools in the world.

[girlciki93]

@Gerald Achieng Achieng

my question is why, the first post colonial cabinet failed to adopt that, all high and secondary schools that were already in existence be upgraded to the ranks of alliance or other colonial elite schools, and those that were to be built in future, be built to the same standards or better.
i don’t see why a child should be segregated or discriminated in matter education simply because of grades, while the parents are paying taxes. A stundent who attended Witeithie primary should be admitted to mangu high school irregardless of KCPE results.
why the founding fathers adopted an elitist approach towards educations is something that needs further interrogation.

Because that is what they inherited and didn’t improve on it. You had a tiered system of whites, Indians and Natives (lol). On inheriting the system, they just walked into the best bits and left the downtrodden to be. So that’s why we have elite schools, elite neighborhoods with all the basic infrastructure, and some communities dominating public service employment at least this is changing with Devolution.

[girlciki93]

@grandpa

Basically what I was saying. Education has very little do with building wealth plus rich kids cannot thrive in a public school setting since their future is not premised on education. That is why famous people in the UK will have their kids go to Eton etc and world leaders and global business magnates will have their kids socialize on an international level at expensive Swiss school which are the epitome of private schools in the world.

Yes and No. Yes, there’s stratification in education. But No, education can build wealth. It is exactly why rich kids get the best quality education while the rest of us get the worst kind.

If you gave everyone good education you could see greater social mobility. But the powers that be are not interested in that.

[S_Lilly]

@Ice_Cube

even you would would never allow your German shepherd to mingle with the local “simba” mongrel

It doesn’t really matter who people mingle with, in the end all must equally mingle in the dust.

[S_Lilly]

@Gerald Achieng Achieng

My beef is why we have let elitism take root in policy making in our society.

They are not elite in the real sense of the word. Elite athletes work hard to achieve their status. Many of our elites are no more than glorified mortal thieves. Who inherited a colonial system of social structure to oversee and enforce exploitation via denying opportunities to those deemed very likely to transform society in a radically positive way.

Most elites have no talent even when educated in the most prestigious education institutions it is very rare for one to see light to innovate anything.

[system]

@grandpa

Another big reason why truly wealthy people send children to prestigious schools is the problems rich folk have.

1. Kidnapping - I am sure most of us and our folks had no fear of our kids getting grabbed for extortion(businesswise or political wise).
2. Society Pressure - I went to a popular national school with some kids from extremely rich kids. These people are just hustled for small cash by everyone ALL the damn time(teachers who want to endear themselves to the folks for private tuition, peasant young folks like myself and informal labour). Everyone wants something. Makes it hard even for the rich kids that want to actually focus on education to actually excel.
   Also a lot of these kids have very different problems that we cannot relate to.

Tembea Kenton hapa Kileleshwa and realise that as a visitor you have to be accompanied by a guard to the specific office you are heading to.

[Mjuaji]

@Okwonkwo

I was curious what this means and had to Google:

Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning.

Nilipotoka 8/4/4 nikaenda trumpistan and school became easy and enjoyable.
Tests were open book because the final grade was from a range of activities and projects over the semester instead of sitting for a do or die final.

[Gerald_Achieng_Achie]

@girlciki93

Because that is what they inherited and didn’t improve on it. You had a tiered system of whites, Indians and Natives (lol). On inheriting the system, they just walked into the best bits and left the downtrodden to be. So that’s why we have elite schools, elite neighborhoods with all the basic infrastructure, and some communities dominating public service employment at least this is changing with Devolution.

the founding fathers were watu bure sana. that overwrite the reasons why we fought for our independence.

[Gerald_Achieng_Achie]

@Okwonkwo

I was curious what this means and had to Google:

Rote learning is a memorization technique based on repetition. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more one repeats it. Some of the alternatives to rote learning include meaningful learning, associative learning, and active learning.

for the purposes of passing exams.

[Gerald_Achieng_Achie]

@grandpa

Basically what I was saying. Education has very little do with building wealth plus rich kids cannot thrive in a public school setting since their future is not premised on education. That is why famous people in the UK will have their kids go to Eton etc and world leaders and global business magnates will have their kids socialize on an international level at expensive Swiss school which are the epitome of private schools in the world.

we generally perceive education as the key or the means to acquiring wealth, while most wealth people focus on the end, that explains why most wealth people world over dropped out of college to peruse their dreams.

[girlciki93]

Dony

@Gerald Achieng Achieng

the founding fathers were watu bure sana. that overwrite the reasons why we fought for our independence.

Don’t forget that the people who fought the actual battles were also short changed