For the entire 20th century, very few Maasai people received formal education. Primary schools were a rare sighting and secondary schools virtually non-existent. These schools, which were built by churches and non-governmental organizations, often had difficulty retaining teachers and students, who were needed in their family’s economies. Very few Maasai girls were educated and only a handful of Maasai youth were ever admitted to university.

Today following educational reform in Kenya which extends, in theory, primary education to all Kenyans, more Maasai children than ever before are enrolled in school. But problems continue to undermine education in Maaasailand. The Kenyan education system includes eight years of primary school, four of secondary school, and, for a lucky minority, four of university. Passage into secondary school and university education is dependent upon passage of two standardized exams administered nationwide to students during the final years of primary and secondary school—these exams are offered one time only and failure blocks a student from continuing forward. A small percentage of students in Maasailand pass these tests, as they are biased toward urban knowledge and educational opportunities not available in rural areas.

Maasai children face a universe of challenges that inhibit their success. The cost of schooling continues to be a factor, as boarding schools, which are necessary in wildlife rich areas, are not free,  and all children must pay for uniforms, books and other expenses. Standardized curriculum is alienating to young children as it promotes the Swahili and English languages to the exclusion of mother tongues, and is typically critical of pastoral lifestyles. A small percentage of schools in Maasailand have lunch programs and so children go hungry. Children typically must walk many kilometers to school, through areas with wildlife, and it is not uncommon to see groups of children waiting for elephants to graze and move on before they themselves can proceed. Children do not have access to books, nor to electricity; homework is impossible.