Kenyan schools adopt UK style mentorship programme

Chief Executive Officer of Education Development Trust Steve Munby (second right) and other education stakeholders addressing participants during a conference on National Leaders of Education (NLE) forum.

A mentorship programme for teachers has been rolled out to boost performance in Kenyan schools.

The model, borrowed from Britain, harnesses expertise of successful principals then uses it to improve teaching capacity in schools that perform poorly.

Already, 42 schools in Nairobi have signed up for the National Leaders of Education programme, with teachers and mentees saying the model is making a difference in the management and performance of schools.

The new model is being piloted in Kenya by Education Development Trust, a UK-based organisation working with the Ministry of Education's Directorate of Policy and Partnerships. It has been successfully implemented in the UK.

Speaking during an education workshop in Nairobi, Education Development Trust CEO Steve Munby said practical advice from experienced school heads is expected to have a bigger impact than external monitoring on its own.

"School-to-school improvement provides a faster and more sustainable improvement model, provided it makes the most of the best schools and its leaders. This builds capacity and has the best chance of improving results," he said.

Mr Peter Kimondo of the Ministry of Education said the government was willing to embrace the new model.