Kakamega school where Isikuti is taught

Shikuku Shining Stars Academy teachers train children's at their institution in Kakamega. PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA

KENYA: Most schools in the country are known for their academic prowess exhibited by how well their learners perform in national examinations. But for Shikuku Shining Star Academy it is different.

Located at the outskirts of Kakamega town, the school offers music classes and at a tender age the students are introduced to practical side of different professions.

The school's founder - Benson Adolwa says the decision to focus on the arts is borne from the realisation that not every student can excel through being subjected to examinations only. He said learners at the school are trained to dance to Isikuti as well as other folk and traditional songs as a way of nurturing talent.

"Children in this school learn music as part of their syllabus. Not only are they trained on traditional songs, the are also taught how to play music instruments," Adolwa said.

He said the learners undertake music practicals at break time where they perfect what they have learnt in class.

"We offer 12 music activities at the school and our aim is to tap talent from children from a tender age so that they grow with a love for music. It is this strategy that saw us excel at the music festivals where we went up to national level and won trophies," he said.

Apart from music, the school - which begun in 2009 and has 76 pupils, also places particular emphasis on the sciences.

"Negative perception among learners on sciences, medicine and engineering is developed when learners are not exposed to these courses at a tender age. Our main objective is to have students who are flexible and love sciences and who go on to help curb the country's shortage of medics and engineers," Adolwa said.

When we visited the school, we found excited students practising a folk song they had learnt in class and Dorisilla Khamusali, one of the school's director said they are committed to nurturing their pupils' talent.

"We want to put up a modern music studio in the school where we can train our budding musicians. The pupils are nurtured from baby class to Standard Six and those who exhibit a talent in music, or any other activity, will be sponsored to realise their dream," Dorisilla said.

She added: "Music is part of our syllabus and all pupils regardless of their age and trained. We are recording songs for them and we are hopeful it will be of great help to them."

The school's efforts have been noted by Kakamega High School Principal Oliver Minishi who said the move helps to tap potential in learners while they are still young.

He regretted that the Kenyan education system does not recognise or create room for talent growth despite the Government spending millions on co-curricular activities.

"The Government spends a lot of money on sports, but this does not benefit our students because the current education system does not recognise co-curriular activities. We should develop a system that also makes it possible to examine our students based on their talents," he said.

He asked the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to consider developing a curriculum that embraces diversity to include sports-science at both primary and secondary school levels.

"It is time for education stakeholders to review the curriculum and make it competitive. Schools are shying away from offering co-curricular activities and technical subjects because they feel it is a waste of time," he said.

Minishi said while traditional subjects taught in class are important, extra effort is needed in growing learners who are all rounded and who can fit into the ideals of Vision 2030 that places greater emphasis on technical subjects.