STATE LIMITATIONS, SELF-HELP SECONDARY SCHOOLING, AND DEVELOPMENT IN KENYA

Theories of Third World education offer different views -on the role a nd strength of the state, and several scholars argue that Third World states are too weak and ''fragile'' to implement development programs for education, health, and other areas. This case study of Kenya exami nes the national education structure and its relationship to different types of development. The analysis (based on detailed district-level data) shows that government-sponsored education is not extensive enoug h to affect comprehensive national development. By contrast, nongovern ment ''self-help'' secondary education is strongly associated with low er child mortality and other types of development. Local communities p ool their financial and labor resources to build and operate secondary schools, efforts that are sometimes organized around ethnicity. Howev er, self-help efforts are not as effective in eradicating tropical dis ease or other serious health problems, which require substantial techn ology and financial resources.