By Mercy Akinyi, Smartious Academic Coordinator · October 2025 · 6 min read
Homeschooling in Kenya has grown roughly 12x since 2020, but public understanding of it has not caught up. Here are the five myths we hear most, and what the actual evidence shows.
The research on this is conclusive in the other direction. A 2020 Cardus study of 3,000 homeschooled adults found that they participated in civic life, volunteering, and close friendships at higher rates than their conventionally schooled peers. What matters is not the method of schooling, but whether parents deliberately build a social layer. Our Parklands centre runs three "Campus Days" a week specifically for this reason.
Homeschooling in Kenya costs between KES 15,000 and KES 70,000 per month depending on curriculum and delivery mode. A private international school in Nairobi charges KES 200,000–KES 600,000 per month. Homeschooling is typically one third the cost of an equivalent private school.
Parents do not teach every subject — specialist tutors do. Parents manage the learning environment, set expectations, and monitor progress. At Smartious, the dedicated class teacher handles content delivery; the parent handles routine and accountability. No teacher qualification required.
Our 2024 and 2025 cohorts have placed students at the University of Nairobi, Strathmore, Manchester, UCL, University of Toronto, and NYU Abu Dhabi. UK and Canadian universities are completely comfortable with homeschool applications backed by IGCSE/A-Level results. US and European universities are equally open.
That was the 1990s version. Modern homeschooling — at least the Smartious version — involves structured timetables, qualified subject tutors, monthly assessments, parent portals, mock exams, and AI-supported learning. It is more structured than many private schools.
If you are considering homeschooling, the best first step is to spend an afternoon at a working homeschool centre. We offer free tours of our Parklands campus every Saturday morning.