It has now emerged that the government is pushing for a new education transformation agenda in the Gusii region that will shift attention from examination grades to skills, teacher preparedness, learner welfare, digital literacy and employability.
The plan, unveiled during the inaugural Gusii Education Stakeholders’ Convention at Kisii University, seeks to bring together the national and county governments, schools, universities, TVET institutions, industry, communities and parents to address persistent weaknesses in the education system in Kisii and Nyamira counties.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said a baseline assessment conducted ahead of the two-day convention had exposed disparities in educational outcomes, resources, infrastructure, inclusion and institutional capacity across the region.
The assessment, conducted by scholars from Kisii University, examined the education system beyond examination performance, focusing on equity and inclusion, infrastructure, digital transformation, teacher development, TVET and higher education, financing, learner wellbeing, substance abuse and climate resilience.
“The value of the baseline is not simply that it gives us another report. Its real value is that it challenges us to move from assumptions to evidence, from isolated interventions to coordinated action, and from short-term responses to long-term transformation,” Ogamba said.
He said the findings should provide the foundation for a coordinated regional response rather than isolated interventions by individual institutions.
The CS said the region’s strong culture of investing in education, coupled with its human capital and institutions, presented an opportunity to build a new model that produces learners with skills beyond academic qualifications.
For years, educational success in the region, as elsewhere in the country, has largely been associated with examination grades.
But Ogamba said the changing demands of the economy and the transition to competency-based education required a broader definition of success.
“We do not dispute that examinations and academic achievement matter. But education is much broader than examinations,” he said.
The Government now wants schools to produce learners who can think critically, communicate effectively, solve problems, innovate, collaborate, use technology responsibly and apply knowledge to real-life situations.
Ogamba said competency-based education should not merely result in a change of subjects, terminology or assessment methods but should fundamentally alter how teaching and learning are conducted.
He said schools would also have to change the way they are managed, while parents and communities would need to take a more active role in supporting learners.
The convention placed teachers at the centre of the proposed transformation, with the baseline assessment identifying teacher development, welfare and preparedness for competency-based education as areas requiring attention.
Ogamba acknowledged that curriculum reforms, digital devices and new assessment systems would have little impact without adequately prepared teachers.
“No education reform can succeed without the teacher,” he said.
He said the teacher’s role was changing from simply transmitting knowledge to becoming a facilitator, mentor, innovator, researcher and lifelong learner.
Under the competency-based approach, teachers are expected to help learners discover, create, collaborate and apply knowledge rather than simply prepare them for examinations.
But the Government also acknowledged the need to address teachers’ welfare and working conditions.
“We cannot demand transformation from teachers while failing to invest in their professional capacity and well-being,” Ogamba said.
The emphasis on teacher welfare is expected to become a key component of the proposed regional education agenda, alongside continuous professional development and preparation for competency-based education.
The convention also identified technology as a critical area requiring urgent attention.
Ogamba said the digital revolution was already transforming how knowledge is created, shared and applied, but warned that simply supplying schools with devices would not guarantee improved learning outcomes.
The Government’s proposed digital transformation agenda includes improving connectivity, providing quality digital content and strengthening teachers’ digital competencies.
It will also address the responsible use of artificial intelligence, digital literacy, cybersecurity and online safety.
The CS said digital education must also cater to learners with disabilities and support the use of data in education management and decision-making.
Kisii and Nyamira, he said, could use their institutions of higher learning and TVETs to position the region as a centre of educational innovation.
Ogamba challenged universities and TVET institutions to become “laboratories of educational innovation” by working more closely with schools, industry and technology partners.
The Government is also seeking to dismantle what it described as an artificial divide between academic and technical education.
Ogamba said not all learners would follow the same educational pathway, with some becoming professionals while others pursue careers as artisans, technicians, entrepreneurs, farmers, designers and technology specialists.
“All these pathways are valuable,” he said.
“A skilled technician is as important to our economy as a university graduate.”
The proposed approach would require TVET institutions to strengthen practical skills, entrepreneurship and technological innovation.
Industry would also be expected to participate in curriculum development, apprenticeships, internships and applied research.
Universities, meanwhile, would be required to strengthen their links with industry, communities and TVET institutions so that research generated in the region contributes to solving practical problems.
The ultimate goal, Ogamba said, is to produce young people who are not only qualified but also skilled, innovative and employable, while giving them the capacity to create opportunities for others.
The region’s education transformation plan will also tackle learner wellbeing, mental health and drug and substance abuse.
Ogamba said a learner experiencing severe emotional distress could not learn effectively, while teachers suffering stress and burnout could also struggle to perform their duties.
The proposed response includes counselling, psychosocial support, referral systems, peer support and mental health awareness, with schools expected to work more closely with families and health professionals.
Drug and substance abuse was identified as another major threat to learners.
The CS said the problem could no longer be treated purely as a disciplinary matter, arguing that it was simultaneously a health, family, community and education issue.
The baseline assessment indicated substantial exposure to substance abuse in educational institutions, requiring a shift from occasional awareness campaigns to structured prevention, professional counselling, early intervention and rehabilitation.
Schools, parents, communities, security agencies, health services, religious organisations and national Government agencies are expected to work together.
“The school must remain a safe space for every learner—and this should be our number one priority,” Ogamba said.
Climate change has also been identified as an emerging challenge affecting education in the region.
The assessment highlighted water security, infrastructure, resources and preparedness for climate-change education as areas requiring attention.
The Government wants schools to become centres of climate action, with learners participating in tree growing, water harvesting, waste management, energy conservation, school gardens and environmental innovation.
The objective is to make learners active participants in creating sustainable communities rather than simply teaching them about climate change in classrooms.
The proposed transformation will rely heavily on collaboration between institutions and communities.
Ogamba said the Government would retain responsibility for providing leadership and policy direction, while counties would provide complementary support.
Universities would generate knowledge and innovation, TVET institutions would provide practical skills, industry would provide opportunities and technology, communities would provide ownership and parents would support learners.
At the centre of the model would be the learner.
“I would like to see a new model of education partnership in this region where: Government provides leadership and policy direction; counties provide complementary support; universities generate knowledge and innovation; TVET institutions provide practical skills; industry provides opportunities and technology; communities provide ownership; parents provide support; and learners remain at the centre,” he said.
The CS, however, warned that partnerships should not be used to shift the Government’s constitutional responsibilities to private actors.
Instead, public-private partnerships should complement Government investment and accelerate innovation.
Potential areas of collaboration include digital connectivity, laboratories and workshops, libraries, STEM education, scholarships, research and innovation, teacher development, infrastructure, climate resilience and entrepreneurship.
Ogamba said every partnership should be subjected to three questions: who benefits, what results will be achieved and who is accountable.
The most significant proposal emerging from the convention is the creation of a Gusii Education Transformation and Innovation Platform.
The platform would provide continuity between education conventions, promote evidence-based dialogue and track commitments made by stakeholders.
Ogamba said the annual convention should not become an event where stakeholders meet, deliver speeches, applaud and return home without implementing resolutions.
“When we meet again, we should be able to ask: What did we promise? What did we implement? What changed? Who benefited?” he said.
Institutions in the region are also expected to strengthen monitoring of enrolment and retention, learning outcomes, teacher development, infrastructure, inclusion, digital readiness, transition, graduate outcomes and learner wellbeing.
The Government wants education planning in the region to increasingly rely on evidence and measurable results.
“What gets measured gets attention. What gets monitored gets improved,” Ogamba said.
The challenge now lies in moving the proposals from the convention hall to schools and learning institutions across Kisii and Nyamira.
Ogamba challenged delegates to agree on clear priorities, assign responsibilities, identify resources, set timelines and develop measurable indicators before leaving the convention.
The proposed regional model is expected to bring together the national Government, the two county governments, education agencies, universities, TVETs, schools, parents, communities, development partners and the private sector.
