Education in Kenya is in crisis.  Yes, another one.  Not long after settling back into a (very demanding) school routine to ‘catch up’ on the academic calendar following the COVID school closures, Kenya’s education reform, and its new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) are under fire.

No doubt the culmination of all the pressures from the last 18 months are in play.  In many ways, the challenges of the last 18 months have exposed deep cracks in the system.  However, right now I believe we are in grave danger of jeopardizing our children’s future.

By writing this, I don’t want to get pulled into a debate about the design of the new curriculum.  There are plenty of people having that debate already.  My aim, however, is to call to attention the fact that our children’s learning hangs in the balance.  Right now, with ongoing legal battles, teachers are stuck, and children are forgotten.

What’s the problem?

Teachers are ill-prepared and poorly supported.

This is why Dignitas exists.  It’s not a new problem, it’s not unique to CBC.  It’s a systemic problem that has eaten away at the quality of our schooling for a long time.  During the pandemic, just 4% of teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa reported receiving any kind of support (UNICEF 2020).  Typically, our pre-service teacher training institutions train teachers by the book, without modelling much of the great practice that should go hand in hand with a competency based curriculum.  Most teachers’ have very limited experience of the classroom before their first appointment.  Not only does this miss out on a huge opportunity to practically prepare teachers; but it fails to establish a routine of observing, supporting, and improving classroom practice through school based support. 

Dignitas is rolling out an online learning management system designed to reach every teacher, and informed by 10 years of impactful, award-winning training and coaching focused on shifting classroom practice to improve children’s outcomes.

School Leaders are under-leveraged, yet critical, agents of change

School Leaders have the power and position to offer much needed guidance for ongoing teacher professional development and support, right in their own classrooms.  School leaders, and particularly instructional leaders, equipped with the right tools and preparation, have the opportunity to transform the quality of teaching and learning.  That’s why Dignitas works so hard to equip and support school leaders – so that they, in turn, can offer teachers under their assignment, adequate development and support. This aligns very well with TSC’s ‘Kenya Education Professional Teaching Standards’, a national guiding document that informs the foundation of quality teaching.

Dignitas is working closely with our government partners, KEMI and KICD, to see how best to share all that we’ve learned about embedding school leader support to improve classroom practice, and hope to co-design toolkits for schools to equip them to become vibrant places of learning where all children can thrive and succeed.

Parents have a role to play

Check out this blog I wrote recently alongside partners from the EdTech Hub – it is clear that parents have a significant role to play in their children’s learning, and that role does not end once we’ve paid school fees and bought uniforms.  Parental support is the biggest ‘non-school’ determinant of a child’s success.  Our current education crisis runs in close parallel to an unfolding parenting crisis, and we need to act.  Helping our children with their homework, working alongside them on school projects, liaising with their teachers, building their confidence and helping them overcome barriers to their learning – these are exactly what we should be doing as parents.  Easy? No! Important for our children to thrive and succeed? Yes!  Schools and parents need to deepen their understanding of how best to partner for the benefit of children.

Dignitas continues to represent RELI, in partnership with Keep Kenya Learning, to develop resources that will help parents understand the value they can add to their children’s learning and well-being.

What’s the solution?

As you can see, Dignitas is acting with urgency, and leveraging it’s insight, evidence, and partnerships to:

1. Put children at the centre!
2. Embed teacher development and support in every school
3. Equip school leaders as instructional leaders to transform teaching and learning
4. Support parents to get involved in their children’s learning, as schools simultaneously improve the how and why of engaging parents and caregivers.
5. Put children at the centre!

Let’s take this opportune moment in history to fix the underlying systemic issues in our education system, rather than attacking one piece.  Let’s challenge the public system to address inequity, to provide quality for every learner, to adequately prepare teachers and school leaders, and to be fully cognizant of learners marginalised by poverty, disability, gender and more.  Let’s hold those appointed within the system to account.  Let’s speak up for the children left behind.