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Kenya commandment EssayAn Overview of the Kenyan Education System Issues and Obstacles to encyclopedism Posted by Lee-Anne Benoit on April 27th 2013 Im sustain again with an come forthline of what Ive learned about the Kenyan Education trunk from the diverse experiences that Ive had. Youll nonice this web log is jolly more academic in nature, but I felt that it was important to find research to back up my draw off in observations. Education is perceived as one and simply(a) of the principal motivating factors behind home(a) economic development and it is one of the most effective ways in which individuals fire ever promise to achieve better opportunities and a exalteder standard of living in Kenya. For these reasons Kenya has invested heavily into its cultivation ashes everywhere the past twenty desire clock. It is my particular objective in this blog to express every(prenominal) that I buzz off learned about the primary and supplemental knowledge frame s in Kenya in the short 12 weeks that I slang been here. I discuss the body structure of primary and collateral checks, the executing of universal lay off primary culture (FPE), limited and equitable access to fostering, obstacles to training within the partitioningroom, peculiar(prenominal) of necessity pedagogics and inclusion.My go throughing is derived from my experiences vi simulateing and works at eleven distinguishable world and private informs in Kenya, 2 Masters courses in special Needs Education that I audited, academic journal articles as sound as several discussions and conversations that I convey had with various individuals related to the field of education. Structure of principal(a) and substitute Education To begin, Id like to outline what I have learned about the structure of primary and collateral take aiming in Kenya. I have gained most of my insight from visiting ball club different existence and private schoolhouses in Nairobi and Momba sa.During these visits I was able to tour each school, surveil classes, and interact with administrators, teachers, and schoolchilds. What follows is an account of some of the relevant information that I have gathered. Children begin primary classes about the age of three years old. They enter a nursery program for roughly twain years before commencing Standard 1. Dep subverting on their final KCPE (Kenyan security department of Primary Education) examination attach at the curiosity of Standard 8, students may or may non qualify to attend a secondary high school. inessential school in Kenya has four levels, forms 1 4 and is completed alone when students finish their KCSE (Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations. Again, student grades play a key component part in determining whether or not students be able to attend university. Due to the ethnic diversity in Kenya (42 different tribes), children begin school speaking a variety of languages. Because of t his, all students study their subject material rifely in Kiswahili up until Standard 3 in a homeroom classroom.It is not until Standard 4 students are immersed in incline and must follow a strict timetable of up to 10 lessons a day. The subjects taught in the primary grades acknowledge Math, English, Kiswahili, Science, Social Studies and Christian Religious Studies. Depending on the location of the school, students may study Islam. Looking through the Kenyan Primary Education curriculum documents, I noticed that art and music were indeed allow ind in the syllabus. However, after inquiring after this, I discovered that art and music have been cut from the timetable callable of the cost and perceived unimportance of the subject material.From the little experience I have, it seems as though the decimal point to which children are allowed to express themselves creatively through art and music depends generally on the school and classroom teachers. From personal observation I c an say with confidence that the approach to education in Kenya is largely teacher centered and by the book. Teachers strictly adhere to the Kenyan syllabus for both primary and secondary students and textbooks are a teachers primary resource during lessons. Standardized examinations are the sole judicial decision techniques that I have noted being used in fix classrooms thus far to narration student carry on.Students in every grade level must complete these standardized examinations at the end of each term, including students in preprimary programs. Grades are critical indicators of success and failure in the lives of students for they ultimately determine whether or not one is able to advance to secondary school. As I mentioned earlier, students must complete their KCP examinations at the end of standard 8. These are national, standardized exams in all subject areas and are worth a total of 400 marks. Students must achieve a minimum of 250 marks if they invite to enter seconda ry school.In order to graduate High School students must complete their KCSE examinations, and achieve high grades if they wish to enter university. I would like to point out that Kenyan teachers have excellent classroom management. or so of the students that I have observed are incredibly intumesce behaved and show a level of direction and respect that I have not seen on such(prenominal)(prenominal) a large scale before. I am impressed by teachers classroom control peculiarly considering the large class sizes that they handle on a mundane basis. I attribute this classroom control to the use of embodied punishment, which is considered to be the norm in Kenya.It has also been argued that students passivity in the classroom dates back to British compound old age and has been an aid and a challenge in encouraging students to take responsibility for their culture (Ackers and Hardman, 2001). ecumenic forego Primary Education An some other(a) key point that warrants discussion is the implementation of FPE, Universal Free Primary Education, in Kenya. numerous of the challenges that the Education strategy ongoingly human faces are directly linked to the implementation of FPE. G. J. Cheserek and V. K.Mugalavai argue that the main problems facing the education system are, issues of access, equity, quality, relevance and efficiency in the management of educational resources, (2012, 473).The following discussion willing elaborate on such issues. As of January 2003, the NARC political relation formal the FPE program to satisfy the pledge it made during the 2002 general elections in order to yield opportunities to disadvantaged children (Makori). This parturiency was a great(p) success in terms of the increased enrollment of disadvantaged children.More than 1.5 billion children enrolled in public schools across the estate, (Makori). However, the country was not yet prepared to accommodate such a large increase as can be seen by such drastic consequence s. Few primary schools were built to accommodate the influx of students, which led to over crowding and congested classrooms. There was a famine of teachers at the time, which led to the employment of un fitting teachers (Makori). Schools lost revenue from the lack of tuition fees, which led to a strain on article of faith materials and resources as well as limited physical facilities (Makori).Lastly, teachers challenges increased as their class sizes grew. Although Primary School tuition fees have been abolished, several factors continue to impede access to education in Kenya. M any(prenominal) parents politic cannot apply to pay for school uniforms, textbooks, transport, meals and supplies, without which students cannot attend school (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). These fees are especially difficult for marginalized children such as females, orphans, and the financially underprivileged.Poor health and the inability to seek medical financial aid also impede many childrens acc ess to education and negatively affect their academic proceeding, (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Many children cannot attend school due to intestinal worms, malaria, and other health concerns such as malnutrition, which can seriously affect their cognitive development. A teacher at the Kiambui Primary School informed me that many of the students arrived at school without having eaten breakfast and who did not constitute lunches. Many teachers, despite their low salaries, felt obligated to bring food for the most needy.Lastly, there is an issue of distance and transportation. For some, transportation is unaffordable and the distance to school is too great to walk, which renders the possibility of attending school impossible (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Despite advancements in accessing primary education, access to secondary education has remained quite low in comparison. There are a tot up of reasons that account for this. For instance, secondary schools still require tuition payments. Although these fees have been reduced, it is still quite expensive for many. Distance also plays a major(ip) role for some in accessing education.As of 2011 there were approximately 26, 000 primary schools and 6, 500 secondary schools outspread across the country, which meant that many communities did not have a nearby high school (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Poor KCPE examinations dozens at the end of Standard 8 also create a barrier in accessing Secondary School. 2004 KCPE results show that a much higher percentage of students from private schools qualify for secondary school than public school, which has led to an overrepresentation of private school graduates attending top Kenyan Secondary Schools (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011).The quality of primary education, so it seems, acts as a serious barrier to obtaining secondary education. Finally, there is limited space in secondary school so parents and students alike must compete for placement in one if not one of the elite National schools. Yet another interesting point to note is that FPE does not enable all children equitable access to quality education the key word here being quality. There is an fearful difference between the quality of education that public schools offer vs.that of private schools as noted earlier. later on visiting both private and public schools I can attest to the difference. The five private schools that I visited had a low teacher to student ratio, more resources and materials for students, an adequate amount of desks for their student body, as well as electricity and running water. On the contrary, some of the public schools that I visited had class sizes of 60 to 80 students, limited electricity, insufficient textbooks and desks for students.There is much speculation that the poor performance of public school graduates on the KCPE examinations is due to a number of specific factors. For simulation, because of the increased enrollment in primary schools in 2003, teachers had to distinguish with extraordinarily large class sizes made up of a diverse range of students whose preparedness varied. mickle such as these diminish a teachers ability to differentiate their instruction and riposte individualized attention. Resources and materials are spread thin and mobility within classrooms be behaves limited.It is thought that this large influx of first times learners has contributed to declining test scores in the public school system (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). It is also thought that poor performance in primary schools is perpetuated by an increasing stratification between public and private schools. This disparity becomes all the more clear when considering the disparity between the KCPE scores of public and private school graduates (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Under qualified teachers has also been positd as a factor as well as corruption.Obstacles to Learning inside the Classroom For Kenya to be internationally competitive and eco nomically viable, the Republic of Kenya requires an education system that will create citizens who are able to engage in lifelong learning, learn new skills quickly, perform more non habit tasks, capable of more complex problem-solving, take more decisions, understand more about what they are working on, require less supervision, assume more responsibility, have more vital tools, have better exercise culture, quantitative analysis, reasoning and expositoryskills (Cheserek and Mugalavai, 2012, 472).As this statement explains, Kenya needs a strong education system that will train individuals to meet the growing economic needs of society. However, as discussed previously, evidence shows that students in public primary schools are achieving significantly lower their private school counterparts. There are a number of factors that can account for this disparity, which directly relate to the quality of primary education and the interactions between teacher and pupil.In 2001, Jim Ackers and Frank Hardman conducted a study on classroom interactions in primary schools in Kenya and found that the predominant teaching style was characterized by the transmission of knowledge and was teacher focused in nature. Students were motivated to recruit but answered preplanned, closed questions and lessons often involved a high degree of choral response and repeating of memorized information (Ackers and Hardman, 2001).They go on to write that, there were few examples of interaction between teacher and pupils that elongate or even encouraged higher order thinking because of the domination of the recitation mode, where typically the teacher asks a series of pre-planned questions, initiates all the topics, and rarely interacts with the substance of the pupils answers except to evaluate them(Ackers and Hardman, 2001, 12). Interestingly passable, this literature mirrors my own observations. I also noted the predominance of a rote learning style of teaching enchantment visiting a number of primary schools.The teachers that I observed lectured on a topic for a large portion of a lesson and then questioned students to see what they were able to absorb. I did not observe any inter pupil interactions or discussions during class time. Rather, students spent the remainder of the class silently copying notes and reply questions from the board. I observed this pattern across multiple subjects and classrooms. Acker and Hardman point out that impediments to learning also include a lack of teaching resources and poor physical conditions of classroom spaces (2001).From what I have noted, the blackboard and student textbooks are the primary teaching aids in a accord of schools. Another obstacle to learning within primary grades is the size of the class. In many cases, teachers can have upwards to 80 students at a time in a regular sized classroom, which creates a congested environment. In such cases it is intimately impossible for a single teacher to meet the needs o f every individual learner. differentiation becomes ineffectual, as does mobility within the classroom.Resources are spread thin and many struggling learners are overlooked. In admittance to overcrowded classrooms, teachers face many challenges, which in turn affect student performance. Firstly, they are under a great deal of pressure to teach all of the curriculum outcomes in order to prepare students for their examinations. Combined with a lack of funding and classroom space, teachers are at a loss when it comes to planning creative lessons. Secondly, teachers face a strong tradition of teaching practice that is both historically and culturally embedded.Attitudes towards mixture can be stubborn, do transformation a slow process. Thirdly, teachers lack an entrance amount of support and financial aid within the classroom as well as opportunities for professional development. As it stands, resource and literacy programs are virtually non-existent in schools, and the government cannot afford to pay for assistants within the classroom. Few primary schools can even afford a library. Fourthly, and in part due to distance, there are barriers to communication between home and school, which negatively impacts student progress.Lastly, primary school teachers work for very low wages, which can be demotivating for some, ultimately impact their professional pedagogical practice. For many teachers and students alike, school can be a truly sink or swim endeavor. Special Needs Education and Inclusion My insight into special needs education derives from two sources. Firstly, I have audited two Masters level courses on special needs education in Kenya empower Guidance and Counseling of Special Needs students and Issues and Problems in Special Needs Education.Secondly, I have worked for a short time at a private special needs school entitled Bright Hills. In addition to Bright Hills, I have also visited three different Special building blocks in public schools Kaimbui Primary School, Kilimani Primary School, and Muchatha Primary School. I would like to share some of the pertinent information that I have learned. According to my own personal experience and research, special needs education is predominantly segregated from general education classes. Many primary and secondary schools have classes termed Special units. These classes are home to students who have a wide range of learning needs, which cannot be met by regular classroom teachers. I have been told that Special Units are inclusive in the sense that all students who have a disability or a special need share a common learning space. It is the role of the special education teacher to tackle the challenging task of differentiating lessons for many students who have varying degrees of learning dependency. Many of the students of Bright Hills Special Needs School are taught the regular primary school curriculum.However, other special needs students are given vocational training, which I obser ved at the Kiambui Special Unit and the Deaf and Blind Unit at the Kilimani Primary School. Learning skills such as beading and twine give students the potential to earn a livelihood outside of school and become productive members of society. Although the Kenyan Minister of Education approved a policy in 2009 that supports the equitable access to quality education and training of learners with special needs, special needs education still faces many challenges.The factors that hinder the provision of education for special needs learners include vague guidelines that describe the implementation of an inclusive policy, insufficient data on children with special needs, ineffective assessment tools, curriculum, and a lack of qualified professionals, (Lynch, McCall, Douglas, McLinden, Mogesa, Mwaura, Njoroge, 2011). Many of the discussions in which I participated in my class Issues and Problems in Special Needs Education mirrored this argument.Major issues that were discussed include the stigmatization of persons with disabilities, a lack of funding to equip teachers with the resources, materials and support required to meet learners needs, a lack of curriculum adaptations, differentiation, appropriate methodology and qualified personnel, inappropriate and biased assessment measures and the misdiagnosis of learning disabilities, which leads to the misplacement of Students in Special Units. I have also had several discussions concerning the implementation of inclusive educational practices within Kenyan Schools.Many of my classmates hope that inclusion is indeed the way forward in reforming the issues inherent in special needs education. Others however, turn over that inclusive education is too ambitious a reform to settle. Dr. Mary Runo stated in a lecture that she is not certain that inclusive education is what Kenya presently needs. Rather, the focus of reform should be on government policy and persistent negative attitudes towards disabilities. Although inclu sive practices are in a fledgling state in Kenya, there are a few successful cases.Take for example the Kilimani Primary School, which is the only school in Nairobi that incorporates the hearing and visually impaired into general classrooms. Numerous supports are provided to students such as braillers, translators, adaptations, and individual assistance. The Kilimani School also has a segregated Special Unit for those who are deaf(p) or blind as well as a Special Unit specifically for those who are deaf and blind, both of which are well equipped with qualified and dedicated teachers as well as a diverse range of teaching aids and resources.It is common practice for a Primary school to pull struggling students out of the regular classroom and place them in a Special Unit for a short time until they can successfully transition back into a regular classroom. The Kyangoma Primary School has 68 special needs learners, the majority of which study in a Special Unit. However, students who have physical disabilities or are highly functioning cognitively are integrated into general classrooms in order to follow the regular school curriculum.Although integration does not equate inclusion, it is evidence that there is a growing acceptance of inclusive practices. Overall, I would argue that special needs learners are segregated from regular classrooms for the most part and that levels of inclusive practice vary from school to school, depending on financial resources, teachers attitudes, and community support. inference It is difficult to articulate all that I have learned about the Kenyan education system in the past twelve weeks, as my experiences have been diverse and I have come to understand the cultural context within which this system works.The education system in Kenya has been undergoing considerable change since the deduction of Universal Free Primary Education in 2003. Despite the many deep motifed and matching problems that impede equitable access to qualit y education, reformation is high on the governments be given of priorities. One thing that I can confidently attest to is the unquestionable confidence and positivity that I have encountered in many Kenyans who strongly believe in the advancement of the education system. Kenyas incoming is bright as long as these discussions continue and individuals strive to make change.References Ackers, J. , Hardman, F. (2001). Classroom Interaction in Kenyan Primary Schools. Compare, 31(2), 245-61. Cheserek, G. , Mugalavai, V. (2012). Challenges and Reforms Facing Kenyan Education System in the 21st Century consolidation the Principles of Vision 2030 and Constitution 2010. Journal Of Emerging Trends In Educational Research Policy Studies, 3(4), 471-478. Glennerster, R. , Kremer, M. , Mbiti, I. , Takavarasha, K. (2011). Access and feeling in the Kenyan Education System A Review of the Progress, Challenges and Potential. Retrieved from http//www.povertyactionlab. org/sites/default/files/pu blications/Access%20and%20Quality%20in%20the%20Kenyan%20Education%20System%202011. 06. 22. pdf KENPRO (2010). Challenges Facing comprehensive Education in Regular Primary Schools in Kenya. KENPRO Online Papers Portal. Retrieved from www. kenpro. org/papers. Lynch, P. , McCall, S. , Douglas, G. , McLinden, M. , Mogesa, B. , Mwaura, M. , Njoroge, M. (2011). Inclusive Educational rehearses in Kenya Evidencing Practice of Itinerant Teachers Who Work with Children with Visual Impairment in Local Mainstream Schools.International Journal Of Educational Development, 31(5), 478-488. Makori, A. carrying into action of universal primary education in Kenya An analysis of its impact and progress towards achieving the EFA goal in Kisii District. Retrieved from http//www. kaeam. or. ke/articles/vol1/makorifulltext. pdf syndicate Uncategorized // 16 Comments 16 Responses to An Overview of the Kenyan Education System Issues and Obstacles to Learning 1. women fashion show 2013 // June twenty-f ifth 2013 Someone essentially help to make critically posts I would state. That is the very first time I frequented your websitepage and so far? I surprised with the analysis you made to create this particular divulge incredible. Fantastic task 2. Graham Mulligan // July 3rd 2013 Lee-Anne, thank you for this post. I concur with everything you describe regarding the current state of Primary Education in Kenya. Although there is much hope for change, there are howling(a) challenges ahead. I wonder what specific improvements can be made, especially in the many isolated and indigent public primary schools. I am currently planning a short visit to do teacher training in some of these schools.Do you have any suggestions for me? cheers Graham 3. Rahab // July 4th 2013 Your observations are very insightful and on point. It is rather disturbing that all education activities in the Kenyan system end up creating bottle necks at some point or other. What are your suggestions on making the sy stem create paths for learners graduating from the various levels of the system? How can the system encourage student creativity and affair both in school and out of school? Is there hope that the Kenya education system will ever become learner centered rather than content and teacher centered?4. desigual sale // July seventeenth 2013 Someone essentially help to make critically articles I might state. That is the first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I amazed with the analysis you made to make this actual position up extraordinary. Wonderful job 5. Evelyn Corrado // July 17th 2013 Very insightful paper for my study I am researching on how we can move from teacher centered approach in Kenyan education into student focused, where students can creatively use their reasoning minds, work together to problems solve and bring in their daily experiences into learning..i agree learning molds the Kenyan society and if problem solving conflict resolution is not enhanced i n schools, no wonder the ethnic conflicts in Kenya society God-father system where minority district and the rest cant challenge it, for lack of confidence . 6. Alice Wawira // July 29th 2013 This is quite helpful and you have done great job. Just check KCPE mark is 500 not 400. The public schools suffer a lot of deficiency ranging from teachers to resources.If only teachers were enough something like 125-35 which is the current proposal to the education ministry enough classrooms and resources, I dont think the syllabus would be a problem however wide. Im inclined to believe so because the private schools and the well-established national schools manage to cover the syllabus long before the end of fourth year in secondary and end of eigth year in primary. The rectification exhibited by the students in the classroom as you explained is one major strength in these schools and as such, it would be quite helpful even in content coverage.Kenya is becoming gradually aware of SEN and s ome progress has been made. I would however wish that we borrowed a leaf from the international system where children with SEN are allowed to sit special exams and even have assistants in classroom and during exams. In Kenya, almost all the times they sit the same exam only that special status and provisions(like brille and additional time) are given during and after the national exams. The smite is when a child in hospital or one who has just given birth is allowed to sit the same exam as any other in cheeseparing health.News has it that computers will come in handy for the hearing-impaired and this will be great. Fantastic job you have done. Having worked in the Kenyan system and in the international as well, I cant fail to see the flaws in the former and I hope to do something about it only that for now, I have no nous where to start. 7. Leonard Kiarago // August 2nd 2013 Indeed, Kenya has a long way to go before the government is able to provide quality education however, w e must agree that there is some progress despite the obstacles.Kenya has the resources, the manpower and the contentedness to provide the young generation with quality education. Kenya has highly qualified professionals produced by top universities all over the world, unfortunately when it comes to policy development and decision making, that is left to politicians leading to wrong policies being implemented without consideration for need assessment or putting priorities right. Take, for example, the issue of laptops for every kid joining primary school is that really a priority for the Kenyan kids?Even in developed countries like the UK the government doesnt provide laptops/computers to every single kid, instead schools have a computer lab used during IT lessons or for lessons requiring some research. Instead of considering building and equipping more classrooms as well as recruiting more teachers, the government is thinking about laptops for schools some of which kids learn under trees and with no electricity or teachers who have prefatory IT knowledge.The subject of how inclusive education should be implemented is a controversial one because even in developed countries like UK, they stillmaintain special schools because inclusive practice is not just a matter of closing special schools and taking children with SEN to mainstream schools. How do you put a child with special needs in a class of 80 kids and call that inclusive education? For inclusive education to be successful there must be availability of resources and manpower as well as change of attitude by those who consider themselves normal. How that can be possible in a country divided through tribal and ethnic affiliations remains a big issue.If Kenyans cannot accommodate fellow Kenyans from a different tribe, how can they accommodate those perceived to be abnormal? What is most worrying is that any time you listen to news or read newspapers, the most likely headline to find is about a certain polit ician from a given community attacking another one from a different community instead of engaging in constructive politics. The article posted a few days ago in daily nation in which a governor was threatening to shut wad schools just because they were built on the boundary by a neighbouring county leader is a good example of what I mean http//www.nation. co. ke/News/Leader-orders-schools-shut-in-boundary-row/-/1056/1930912/-/view/printVersion/-/khd48cz/-/index. html A societys treatment of those who are weak and dependent is one critical indicator of its social progress. This was an observation by Kirk, Gallagher and Anastasiow (1997) who in their study of children with special needs noted that social attitudes towards the education and care of children with special needs invent the general cultural attitudes concerning the obligations of a society to its citizens.The problem with the provision of education in Kenya can only be solved if the government allowed professionals to co ntribute to policies related to their field of expertise and to set aside finances for research so that policies can be validated through research to avoid implementing policies, which are politically driven. (Kiarago is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham) 8. Pierre Varly // August 19th 2013 thanks a lot for your excellent article full of infos and very well structured. i have a blog on education in the developping countries where i could publish the article also if you agree.9. Isaac Maluki // August 22nd 2013 Thank you for your good report. Kindly tell me, how many students qualify for university education in Kenya but do not make it for lack of school fees? 10. Amen K. Rahh // October 3rd 2013 Thank you for this insightful blog. I would however like to point out the roll of ICT and the growing impact online learning is having on learning in schools. With the introduction of laptops for primary school students, the Government seems to understand the survival of the failing education system is depended on IT solutions. http//www. cc-gate.com as well as the CCK are working on online content and tutoring coming in the future. 11. Edy // November 5th 2013 Hi, I found this blog a few days ago as I was looking for some research into the Kenyan education system. You have done wonderful analysis. However, one correction to your information is that Swahili is not the predominant teaching tool for Nursery-Std 4 pupils. In fact, and to the contrary, English is widely used to instruct children because apart from Swahili, all other disciplines, Math and Science included cannot be feasibly administered in Swahili.12. John muema // November 7th 2013 these is true and i nerve impulse the government to employ more teachers 13. Agesa Akufa // November 9th 2013 This is a good, well researched and articulated work. just a point of correction, the kcpe marks total to 500 not 400. otherwise it is an impresive that will many researchers especially university st udents. if the government can take into account this piece of work then we should expect to see enormous steps taking root in the educational system. of course, steps to spin the country foward. i salute you 14. THOMAS ODENY //.