Implementation of Inclusive Child Friendly Primary Schools Policy in Nyandarua County, Kenya

The main problem addressed by this study was the implementation of inclusive child friendly primary schools policy in Nyandarua County. The Inclusive Child Friendly Schools (CFS) policy has become the vehicle through which the government is providing quality education for all children in school by creating a learning environment where all children can learn, all children want to learn, and all children feel included in the classrooms and schools. However, studies show that the conditions in schools are not adequately adapted to accommodate the diversity of learners and even many more children of school going age are left out of school. These challenges generated the objectives of the study which were to examine the practice in public primary schools in line with the inclusive CFS policy and suggestion of appropriate strategies for implementation of inclusive CFS in public primary schools. To achieve this, the study utilized a descriptive survey using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data collection instruments entailed questionnaires, interview schedule, focus group discussions, observation schedule and document analysis which were first piloted to improve validity and reliability and the accruing data was then analyzed thematically as per the study objectives. The findings of the study indicated that there was a substantial gap between CFS policy expectations and its actual day to day practice in the schools. Schools had the CFS messages engraved but had not made a significant alteration in the line with the policy. From these study findings, the paper presented several policy recommendations including adopting CFS policy to internal contexts so that individual schools look for ways of developing and utilizing selfassessment indicators of CFS at the school levels. Though the area of CFS is relatively new, it was hoped the study could shed light on the way forward for inclusive child friendly school programme in Kenya.

The Role of Windle Trust Kenya in Promotion of Education in Dadaab Camp, Kenya

Education not only empowers individuals to live a better quality life, it also makes an enormous contribution to the development of a society. It is, however, very challenging to provide quality education to communities afflicted by conflict, particularly refugees. The study examined the role of Non-Governmental Organizations in the provision of education in conflicted societies. Specifically, the study analysed the role played by Windle Trust-Kenya in the provision of education among the refugees’ communities in Dadaab refugee Camps in Kenya. The study interrogated not only the strategies used by the Organization to promote education among the refugees, but also the challenges encountered in the provision of education in the specific refugee camps in Dadaab. The study employed a descriptive research design in order to probe into the efforts of the Organization towards supporting refugee education. Programme managers who have worked for Windle Trust Kenya, teachers employed by the Organization in Dadaab and academics who have served in Dadaab Refugee camp were interviewed using an interview schedule. Document analysis was also conducted from the different humanitarian organizations operating in Dadaab and from Kenyatta University Post Modern Library. These included journals, theses and text books. The research established that Windle Trust-Kenya has supported not only secondary and primary education in Dadaab but also tertiary education, through collaboration with different universities. Girls were found to be experiencing more challenges in pursuing education due to gender based violence and cultural beliefs among most of the refugees. Conclusively, the study established that education to refugees benefit both refugees and the host community as refugees who excel in education also give back to the host community

Effects of Teacher Participation in in-service Training on Achievement in Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Teacher Professional Development is a key component of educational reforms across the world due to its effects on teacher effectiveness and learner outcomes. Teachers engage in different professional development programs to improve learner achievements. However, the effects of teacher participation in in-service courses on learners’ achievement have come under scrutiny due to persistent low learning outcomes. The study adopted convergent parallel mixed methods approach design. A sample of 194 teachers in 68 public and private primary schools was selected using stratified random and purposive sampling. Data collection instruments were questionnaires and focus group discussion guide. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that teacher participation in formal training programs had statistically insignificant effects on Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination achievement indicating that other factors like individualized attention to learners, prompt marking and revision of tests as well as supervision of teaching and learning contributed greatly. The in-service courses were found to be short term and infrequent. The study recommends engagement of teachers in continuous and frequent professional development activities and establishment of school infrastructure to support daily collaborative teacher professional development activities at the school level.

Exclusive education towards inclusion in higher education after 2015

The contours of social exclusions are broad and varied. However, tackling exclusion is like policy creation. This study sought to bring out the progress on inclusive education by addressing policy elements in exclusions and inclusive as its main objective based on the scope in policy creationand implementation in higher education. The study used theories; Heutagogy of Stewart Hase (2000); or the self - determined learning as well as Herbert Simon’s social learning (1947) theory or the social discourse theory. The study design was explorative with case surveys from the global trends as a benchmark for its scope including Kenya using the content analysis of Salamanca conference on inclusive education and Education For All and expectations thereafter from the year 2015. The lessons have been derived from survey cases of countries benchmarked as a basis for policy analysis, planning, implementation and for adoption for other countries like Kenya.

Policy interventions for attraction and retention of female teachers in rural secondary schools

The potential role of female teachers in achieving the Education for all (EFA) and the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all (Goal 4), achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls(Goal 5 ) is well documented. Available evidence, however, suggests that attraction and retention of female teachers in secondary schools located in rural areas remains a significant and on-going challenge. In response, policy makers in Kenya have recommended three key policy interventions namely decentralization of teacher recruitment, payment of hardship allowance and provision of housing. A literature search reveals a dearth of information on the perspectives of rural educators on the effectiveness of these interventions. The paper presents findings based on one objective of a broader study which was to: Establish the views of female teachers’ and other stakeholders’ regarding the effectiveness of strategies for attraction and retention of female teachers in Makueni County. This study adopted a mixed methods design. The paper presents findings from the qualitative component of the study. Interviews were used to gather data. Based on their interpretations, the authors provide useful insights and offer suggestions on how the implementation of these policies could be improved.

Bridging the Distance in Distance E-Learning

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organisations now categorize the provision of education in emergencies as a humanitarian response to disaster. However, the very nature of an emergency situation makes the provision of education a daunting task. When entire populations are displaced and forced to live in camps as refugees in a host country, they are unlikely to have access to the physical infrastructure and other resources required for education, especially higher education. An innovative way of availing higher education opportunities to refugee populations is through distance education programmes, particularly those delivered through online e-learning platforms. As universities continue to embrace the role of humanitarian actors, they are increasingly recognizing that distance education programmes, more so e-learning ones, have the potential of reaching a wider population of refugees, enabling them access to education without requiring institutions to have a physical presence in a refugee camp. The actualization of this potential in a refugee camp setting, however, is not without challenges. Drawing on experiences from facilitating and managing a joint online certificate course targeted at refugees living in the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya, this paper seeks to show that the challenges, ranging from physical distance to lack of computer skills, are doubly pronounced in refugee settings. Further, the paper highlights the innovative solutions that were used to mitigate the said challenges and shows how they can be adopted when designing distance e-learning programmes for both emergency and non-emergency situations in Africa.

Exploring Enabling Interventions for Increasing Female Students’ Access and Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (Stem) Disciplines in Kenyan Public Universities

Globally, studies continue to document disparities in women’s access and participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the universities. Despite existence of policies at the national and institutional level, no single and clear road map exists on what set of interventions can best contribute to redressing this disparities. This study draws attention to the low participation of female students in STEM disciplines and especially in hard sciences in Kenyan public universities. Data for the study were collected in three public universities that were purposively sampled. Questionnaires, interviews, observations, content and documentary analysis were used as key instruments for data collection and research techniques. Data were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study findings revealed that, despite the existing educational gender interventions, female students’ enrolment and participation in STEM disciplines in the Kenyan public universities is 30% and less than 20% in hard sciences. The study also established that there exists a continued process of gender typing in the secondary school curriculum which students pick and is further manifested in the universities. This stereotype has created a false perception among female students that soft sciences are marketable for the female gender and are feminine compared to the hard sciences. Further there exists socio-cultural and institutional barriers that affects female students’ participation in STEM disciplines. The study recommends first, the need for government and universities to develop educational STEM policies and interventions to increase female participation in STEM disciplines. Second, the STEM curricula should be made gender responsive with integration of additional STEM female faculty members to act as mentors to female students. Appropriate STEM mentoring and career guidance should be enhanced at all levels of education and all educational stakeholders should be involved in minimising socio-cultural, institutional barriers and stereotypes on masculinity of STEM disciplines.

Learning Environments and Pupils’ Participation in Primary Education in Nairobi Urban Slums

In order to achieve economic sustainability, every country must invest significantly in quality education for boys and girls from the basic levels. Key inputs of quality education include teachers, physical facilities and resources; and gender-sensitive environments that are healthy, safe, and protective. Quality education is an empowering tool through which individuals gain sufficient academic qualifications that can lead to gainful employment or self- employment at a later stage. Such education augments people’s understanding of themselves and the world improves the quality of their lives and leads to wide-ranging social benefits to individuals and society. While learning can take place anywhere, positive learning outcomes commonly pursued by educational systems happen in quality learning environments. In this paper, learning environments are contextualised in terms of physical and psychosocial essentials. The paper examines how learning environments facilitate or obstruct children’s learning thereby contributing to their empowerment or marginalisation. The paper is based on qualitative case studies of four selected primary schools in Nairobi urban slums. A sample of 220 informants including 189 children and 31 adults were interviewed individually or in groups. The study utilised observations, interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and mapping methods to collect data. The findings revealed that only two schools had physical elements conducive for girls and boys to learn. Child abuse was rife in the schools; some of the school premises were not only insecure but a health hazard to the boys and girls. The paper also discusses how the home and community contexts were a threat to girls learning. The study concludes that learning environments, to a large extent, were an obstacle to girls’ access, retention and achievement of good learning outcomes that are critical for improving their life chances. The study recommends inclusion of gender responsive pedagogy in teacher coaching and alternative methods of instilling discipline.

Phenomenological Underpinnings for Gender and Feminist Research in Education

This paper addresses the near-absence of feminist theorisation and methodological considerationsas a conceptual gap in the gender research in African contexts.Not only is this perceived gaprelevant toresearch onfamily and community but it also implicateseducational research that mainly focuses on schooling and its interactions with other social institutionstoperpetuate subordination of women. Arguably,addressing this conceptual gap effectively withincritical and scholarly analytical stanceshas the potential to enhance the unmasking of the subtle drivers of women’ssubordination, that are oftenelusive in gender analysis that is outside the feminist mission.The author usesthe analytic and critical methods of philosophyto elucidate and foreground phenomenological underpinningsthat influencethe construction of gender power relations in the context of feminist theoretical mission which advocates for the understanding of women’s subordination through their voices as well as embracing the political task of challenging and dismantling female subordination in society. The philosophical arguments advanced herein, yield recommendationsand conclusions based on critical analysis of selected examples that are derived from gender research in African contexts and which are relevant to the feminist agenda. The key objective of this paper ismake theoretical and methodological contribution to the field of gender and educational researchthat inform researchers working in 21st Century African settings in pursuance of the attainment of the United Nations SDG 5 on ensuring gender equality and not in the least, SDG 4 on quality education and lifelong learning for all.

The Contribution of the German Neukirchen Mission (GNM) in the advent of Western Education in Tana River County, Kenya 1885-1986

The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of the German Neukirchen Mission (GNM) in the advent of Western Education in Tana River County, Kenya in the period 1885-1986. The historical research design was preferred as the topic in question was a historical survey of the establishment and development of Western education in Tana River County from late 19th century to the last two decades before the close of the 20th century. Both primary and secondary sources of data were utilized. There were three research instruments namely; interview schedules, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Document Analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques were utilized though the latter to a larger extent. Documents were analyzed through external and internal criticism. The results revealed that Western education was introduced in Tana River County majorly by the GNM. This was in spite of many hardships and challenges that saw some other Christian missionary organizations like the Swedish Mission, Holy Ghost Fathers (HGF) and United Methodist Mission (UMM) vacate the area to other more friendly locations. The British colonial government equally shied off from the area probably for perceiving it as an area without immediate and direct economic gains to the colony. At independence, of all primary schools in existence in Tana River County, over 90% of them had been started by the GNM. The four leading secondary schools in Tana River County namely Tarasaa, Hola, Wenje and Ngao all developed out of GNM initiatives. The GNM achieved this even after being deported twice by the British Government during the WW I and WW II which put Germany and Britain in opposing camps. The findings point out the need to acknowledge the role of the German Neukirchen Mission (GNM) in the introduction of Western Education in Tana River County. The findings also show that there is need as much as possible to ensure that differences of political nature are not allowed to affect the provision of vital social amenities like education. The German missioners ought not to have been deported due to the conflict pitting their country and the British at the international level. Moreover, the resilience and success of GNM where everyone else seems to have failed or avoided should be a reference point to stakeholders in education, notably, both the county and the national government on how to improve the education sector in the county and similar arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs).