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5th November, 2016

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Catherine Gakii Murungi

1. Devolving early childhood education to county governments in Kenya has led to challenges around teacher management, training, use of technology, and funding. 2. Solutions proposed include counties constructing inclusive classrooms and providing resources to improve health, education, and data collection on preschoolers. 3. Opportunities from the new policy include increased parental involvement, assured teacher employment, and hiring of pre-school leadership and quality assurance roles.

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Devolved Early Childhood Education: Challenges, Solutions and Opportunities Dr. Catherine Gakii Murungi Senior Lecturer, Kenyatta University EMAIL: gakii.catherine@ku.ac.ke 5th November, 2016
Challenges There appears to be confusion as to who should hire and manage the pre-school teachers, teacher management is the sole and constitutional responsibility of the Teachers Service Commission, under article 237 of the constitution, but section 4.2.9. of the same constitution devolves ECE to the counties. This led to a case in the courts since 2013 to date.
Challenges The DICECE officers have been on TSC payroll. But after devolvement of ECE, TSC told these officers to decide whether to remain with TSC, by going back to primary schools, or, go to counties and be paid by county governments since early childhood was devolved to the county governments.
Challenges.. The training of ECDE Diploma and Certificate teachers was a responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The county governments are now coordinating this and its a big challenge outsourcing DICECE officers to carry out these trainings since most of them remained with TSC and went back to classes
Challenges The County Governments are in charge of ICT in the counties. It is expected that children will transit to class one and then use laptops. But there is no clear guide for pre-school teachers, on how to prepare children on ICT so as to ensure a smooth transition. According to the education reforms recommendations, ICT will be used as a tool for teaching, but pre-school teachers are not trained on such skills.
Challenges The ECD bill of 2014, is yet to be passed into law by parliament but, this was due to the fact that the 2006 policy was not fully implemented, but now that we are launching the 2016 policy around 2nd December, we hope that implementation will take effect as from 2017 and the bill will be passed into Law.
Challenges There is a challenge when allocating funds to pre-schools from the county governments, since unit costing for each child at pre-school level has not been done. There is need for the county government through the national government to request the ministry of planning to do the costing. This will help in planning and budgeting.
Challenges Children with Special Needs: County governments in consultation with the national government are yet to come up with facilities and services that are inclusive. So far the classes and toilets that have been put up have not factored children with limitations. Also pre-school teachers have not been trained to handle special needs children.
Challenges.. Lack of reliable data on all pre-school age going children, children with special needs, and those not enrolled in pre-school education.
Solutions The devolution process in Kenya has given county governments more control over the distribution of resources. County governments receive budget funds for early childhood. Through these funds user friendly pre-school classes and toilets that take into consideration children with special needs can be constructed, learning materials provided and teachers can be fully paid.
Solutions Once classrooms and toilets are constructed, clean water for drinking and washings hands is provided and a clean environment is maintained, then we can atleast improve on the health of our pre-school children Providing health intervention services to pre- schools in line with the policy . Such as vitamin A supplementations, dental hygiene education and de-worming children after every 3 months to improve on the health of the pre-schoolers
Solutions.. Cost each child's education for better planning The county to focus on improving the level of education by utilizing the readily available competitive human resource. At the moment counties are only employing caregivers, anyone can be a caregiver whether trained or not. Yet we have trained personnel with certificate, diploma and degrees in ECE not yet employed. (Salary 10- 30k,not quite attractive to the qualified personnel)
Solutions.. There are no refresher courses offered for our pre-school teachers and their tutors (the teachers of teachers) there is need for cascading capacity building of teachers, to include components such as; e-learning, incorporate skills in handling special needs children, to update with new knowledge and skills as well as methodologies (especially now that the upcoming education reforms recommends using ICT in teaching from pre- primary all the way to upper classes).
Solutions. The long term solution to lack of data, is to ensure that all children are registered at birth and that they are followed with the essential packages at home and to school. This way what needs to be identified will be documented for planning purposes long before the child is due to attend school.
Solutions. Involve the community to ensure ownership and sustainability of the pre-school projects or activities Harmonize different strategies in health and nutrition to the education of pre-school children and cascade it to include primary and secondary school children
Solutions.. Pre-school education is supposed to be free and compulsory but in actual sense its not free. County governments need to allocate substantial amount of funds to comfortably run the pre-schools so as to make it free the way it should be.
Other solutions Enact and enforce legislations regarding childrens rights (e.g. fining 100k to parents with kids not attending pre-school education ) Develop an Institutional governance and accountability framework for auditing purposes. Register and give accreditation to institutions providing ECDE services
Opportunities The draft policy authorizes parental involvement through appointment to pre-school management boards in all pre-schools. Previously this provision for representation on ECDE issues was not there. ECDE teachers are assured of employment once policy issues are clarified, TSC will provide terms of service commensurate with the teachers qualification.
Opportunities County directors of pre-school education will be hired Quality assurance officers for the early childhood section to be hired Pre-school teachers will be employed; starting from diploma to degree graduates as per the current education reforms recommendations. Piloting will start in January 2017
Big idea, continued. Quality care will translate into children being healthier. They will have fewer incidences of disease. They will also have better a academic performance and fewer school dropouts and repetition as a result of having been exposed to stimulating learning experiences both at home and in the early childhood development (ECD) centers.

More Related Content

5th November, 2016

  • 1. Devolved Early Childhood Education: Challenges, Solutions and Opportunities Dr. Catherine Gakii Murungi Senior Lecturer, Kenyatta University EMAIL: gakii.catherine@ku.ac.ke 5th November, 2016
  • 2. Challenges There appears to be confusion as to who should hire and manage the pre-school teachers, teacher management is the sole and constitutional responsibility of the Teachers Service Commission, under article 237 of the constitution, but section 4.2.9. of the same constitution devolves ECE to the counties. This led to a case in the courts since 2013 to date.
  • 3. Challenges The DICECE officers have been on TSC payroll. But after devolvement of ECE, TSC told these officers to decide whether to remain with TSC, by going back to primary schools, or, go to counties and be paid by county governments since early childhood was devolved to the county governments.
  • 4. Challenges.. The training of ECDE Diploma and Certificate teachers was a responsibility of the Ministry of Education. The county governments are now coordinating this and its a big challenge outsourcing DICECE officers to carry out these trainings since most of them remained with TSC and went back to classes
  • 5. Challenges The County Governments are in charge of ICT in the counties. It is expected that children will transit to class one and then use laptops. But there is no clear guide for pre-school teachers, on how to prepare children on ICT so as to ensure a smooth transition. According to the education reforms recommendations, ICT will be used as a tool for teaching, but pre-school teachers are not trained on such skills.
  • 6. Challenges The ECD bill of 2014, is yet to be passed into law by parliament but, this was due to the fact that the 2006 policy was not fully implemented, but now that we are launching the 2016 policy around 2nd December, we hope that implementation will take effect as from 2017 and the bill will be passed into Law.
  • 7. Challenges There is a challenge when allocating funds to pre-schools from the county governments, since unit costing for each child at pre-school level has not been done. There is need for the county government through the national government to request the ministry of planning to do the costing. This will help in planning and budgeting.
  • 8. Challenges Children with Special Needs: County governments in consultation with the national government are yet to come up with facilities and services that are inclusive. So far the classes and toilets that have been put up have not factored children with limitations. Also pre-school teachers have not been trained to handle special needs children.
  • 9. Challenges.. Lack of reliable data on all pre-school age going children, children with special needs, and those not enrolled in pre-school education.
  • 10. Solutions The devolution process in Kenya has given county governments more control over the distribution of resources. County governments receive budget funds for early childhood. Through these funds user friendly pre-school classes and toilets that take into consideration children with special needs can be constructed, learning materials provided and teachers can be fully paid.
  • 11. Solutions Once classrooms and toilets are constructed, clean water for drinking and washings hands is provided and a clean environment is maintained, then we can atleast improve on the health of our pre-school children Providing health intervention services to pre- schools in line with the policy . Such as vitamin A supplementations, dental hygiene education and de-worming children after every 3 months to improve on the health of the pre-schoolers
  • 12. Solutions.. Cost each child's education for better planning The county to focus on improving the level of education by utilizing the readily available competitive human resource. At the moment counties are only employing caregivers, anyone can be a caregiver whether trained or not. Yet we have trained personnel with certificate, diploma and degrees in ECE not yet employed. (Salary 10- 30k,not quite attractive to the qualified personnel)
  • 13. Solutions.. There are no refresher courses offered for our pre-school teachers and their tutors (the teachers of teachers) there is need for cascading capacity building of teachers, to include components such as; e-learning, incorporate skills in handling special needs children, to update with new knowledge and skills as well as methodologies (especially now that the upcoming education reforms recommends using ICT in teaching from pre- primary all the way to upper classes).
  • 14. Solutions. The long term solution to lack of data, is to ensure that all children are registered at birth and that they are followed with the essential packages at home and to school. This way what needs to be identified will be documented for planning purposes long before the child is due to attend school.
  • 15. Solutions. Involve the community to ensure ownership and sustainability of the pre-school projects or activities Harmonize different strategies in health and nutrition to the education of pre-school children and cascade it to include primary and secondary school children
  • 16. Solutions.. Pre-school education is supposed to be free and compulsory but in actual sense its not free. County governments need to allocate substantial amount of funds to comfortably run the pre-schools so as to make it free the way it should be.
  • 17. Other solutions Enact and enforce legislations regarding childrens rights (e.g. fining 100k to parents with kids not attending pre-school education ) Develop an Institutional governance and accountability framework for auditing purposes. Register and give accreditation to institutions providing ECDE services
  • 18. Opportunities The draft policy authorizes parental involvement through appointment to pre-school management boards in all pre-schools. Previously this provision for representation on ECDE issues was not there. ECDE teachers are assured of employment once policy issues are clarified, TSC will provide terms of service commensurate with the teachers qualification.
  • 19. Opportunities County directors of pre-school education will be hired Quality assurance officers for the early childhood section to be hired Pre-school teachers will be employed; starting from diploma to degree graduates as per the current education reforms recommendations. Piloting will start in January 2017
  • 20. Big idea, continued. Quality care will translate into children being healthier. They will have fewer incidences of disease. They will also have better a academic performance and fewer school dropouts and repetition as a result of having been exposed to stimulating learning experiences both at home and in the early childhood development (ECD) centers.

Editor's Notes

  • #14: Now that children in standard one, as from January 2017
  • #17: The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology was to provide capitation grants of 1020 per child to all enrolled pupils in ECDE to facilitate procurement of teaching and learning materials, but this was not realized. County governments can implement this same formula per child.