GETTING AHEAD IN KENYA: SOCIAL CAPITAL, SHADOW EDUCATION, AND ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

This study of Kenya addresses two questions: Do social and cultural capital matter for school achievement, net of family background factors? If so, what aspects matter most? The paper examines shadow education, which consists of tutoring and exam preparation classes, as a form of cultural capital utilized by some families to advance children's likelihood of educational success. With data for 506 households, it determines who is most likely to participate in shadow education and assesses the consequences of shadow education and other measures of family social and cultural capital for two educational outcomes: grade repetition and academic performance. Results indicate that boys and urban children are more likely to participate in shadow schooling which, in turn, is related to lower incidence of grade repetition and higher academic performance. Other measures of cultural capital, such as language spoken in the home and mother's reading habits, reduce the likelihood of grade repetition. Schooling and Social Capital in Diverse Cultures, Volume 13, pages 133-159. Copyright © 2002 by Elsevier Science Ltd. AH rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ISBN: 0-7623-0817-6

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