"Key to Life" - A study of how students perceive secondary education in the slums of Kibera

Abstract: This is a study of high school students’ individual perception of education in the slum area of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. A fieldwork in Kibera was carried out between February and March of 2015 consisting of individual interviews and focus groups conducted with high school students. The goal is to contribute with information and knowledge about secondary education in urban slum so that a deeper understanding about the issues and challenges students face can be established. The goal is however not to contribute with results applicable on the entire educational system. It will be shown that by examining individual perception it becomes possible to understand what actions are necessary to take to improve secondary education in areas of poverty. It is argued in the thesis that individual perception can work as a supplement to traditional methods of studying education and that understanding perception can be vital when working with international development goals. That the opinions and thoughts in the community and in the family shape and influence the perception of the individual will also be displayed.