Ministry lines up sessions to get views on school reforms

Education CS Prof George Magoha hands over a trophy to St Stephen Lwanya Girls Principal Emily Mokera during Busia Sub-county education day yesterday. The school was feted for being the best overall girls school. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The government has spelt out a raft of measures to improve the quality of education.

The details emerged even as Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha is set to launch countrywide dialogue sessions that will precede a national reforms conference scheduled for August 16.

A Ministry of Education report seen by Sunday Standard underlines measures to bring an end to class repetition, reduce drop outs and cut on absenteeism.

Enhancing learners’ assessments, improving teacher training, building their capacities and checking teachers’ absenteeism has also been listed among measures to improve education quality.

The report further reveals that effective distribution of the existing teachers, strengthening school leadership and promoting child-friendly learning centres also hold key to improved education standards.

The Kenya National Examination Council Assessment Booklet finds that to improve quality of education, there is need to embrace a multi-agency approach.

It says this will involve different stakeholders (including parents, local leaders, security agencies) in dealing with challenges that prevent children from accessing education.

The document says the government should undertake targeted community sensitisation programmes on the importance of education and that stakeholders should sensitise the communities to ensure cultural practices do not affect schooling.

It further says that a framework must be developed to guide identification of vulnerable children and corresponding targeted support interventions.

Finer details of the Knec report shows that adaption of the existing infrastructure in schools to facilitate inclusive education will go along way in improving quality.

The report says if well implemented, the initiatives will reduce school drop out rates, stop class repetition and check learner absenteeism to ensure universal access and completion of basic education.

The countrywide dialogue sessions have been divided into eight regions, with regional education stakeholders invited to attend.

In Rift Valley, the dialogues will be hosted at Nakuru High School and will be presided by Magoha.

Magoha will also chair the Nairobi region sessions at Nairobi School.

In Nyanza, the sessions will be done at Kisumu Girls and will be led by Higher Education PS and Chief Administrative Secretary at Ministry of Education.

In Western, Kakamega High School will host the dialogues and Alfred Cheruyiot, Ministry of Education Post Training and Skills PS, will lead them. Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang will lead dialogue sessions in Central region. The meeting will be held at Nyeri Moi Complex Primary School.

Kang’aru Boys’ School will host the Eastern dialogue sessions, which will be presided over by Vocational and Technical Training PS Kevit Desai.

And in North Eastern, Elyas Abdi, the Ministry of Education Director General will preside over the meeting at Garissa High School.

Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia will be in Mombasa’s Shimo la Tewa High School for the coast dialogues.

On teacher preparedness, the Knec report says the ministry should undertake an assessment of the status and relevance of existing programmes and ?infrastructure in public pre-primary and primary teacher training colleges.

It also says that there must be a review of the pre-service teacher training curricula and assessment framework.

“Build capacity (re-tool) of current and future teacher educators (tutors) in the new curricula and assessment framework and establish the Kenya School of Education to act as a hub for continuous research on pedagogy,” reads the report.

The Knec report says in achieving the above, the ministry will have ensured that teacher training pre-service programmes are aligned to the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Still on teachers training, report finds that there is a need to provide continuous (in-service) professional support to teachers to improve their knowledge and competence.

Ensuring continuous school level coaching and mentorship of trainee or beginner teachers, especially incumbents facing professional challenges, will help achieve this goal.

And to reduce teachers’ school and classroom absenteeism and indiscipline cases, the Knec report says the ministry must encourage and strengthen local/school level initiatives.