Kenya Leads Regional Education Reform Efforts in Eastern Africa
The Government of Kenya has been lauded for its achievements in education, attributed to the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms Report and the Ministry of Education Sessional Paper, Bills, and Regulatory Guidelines currently under review for implementation.
During a working tour in Kenya, diplomatic delegations from Ethiopia and Uganda commended the country’s groundbreaking reforms in the education sector. These revelations were disclosed during a briefing with the Ministry of Education Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Belio Kipsang.
Dr. Kipsang emphasised that education is a fundamental human right, as outlined in the Constitution of Kenya, Article 26, echoing international declarations such as the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the recent African Union declaration designating 2024 as the year of education.
Acknowledging President Dr. William Ruto’s foresight in recognising the pivotal role of education in national, regional, and African development, Dr. Kipsang highlighted the establishment of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) by the President.
The Ethiopian Ambassador to Kenya, Bacha Debele, and Dr. Kipsang concurred that Kenya was chosen over other nations like the UK for benchmarking due to similarities in socio-economic and political landscapes among Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
The PS expressed gratitude for the recognition of Kenya as a preferred destination for benchmarking educational practices in the region, stressing the significance of this gesture.
Benchmarking in Kenya elevates the country’s status as a leader in global education best practices, enabling other nations to adopt and adapt these practices to enhance their own educational systems.
During their visit, senior Ministry of Education officials provided detailed presentations on various aspects of Kenya’s education system, including its philosophy, vision, mission, goals, structure, and evolution, as well as financing education from primary to tertiary levels.
Strategies to overcome challenges in educational program implementation, ensuring quality assurance for learning outcomes, promoting school feeding programs, integrating ICT in education, and enhancing teacher professional development were discussed extensively.
In order to achieve gender equality, affirmative action is necessary to address the gender gap in school leadership, particularly the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions despite outnumbering male teachers.
The three nations agreed on fostering exchange programmes for students, teachers, and government officials to facilitate regional integration and envision a borderless education system in the future.
Kenya Leads Regional Education Reform Efforts in Eastern Africa
