Tackle shortcomings to enhance learning

Although the country is grappling with logistical and other challenges that hamper education, it remains among the top in the East African region and the continent. However, it does not fare as well as other countries globally.

It is, indeed, the leading regional educational hub, boasting the highest literacy rates and a highly competitive academic environment, but its overall global positioning is much lower. A new international education report has highlighted shortages of teachers and learning materials, alongside bullying, absenteeism, digital distractions and weak parental engagement — factors shaping children’s learning.

Last year, Kenya participated in its first Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), which examines learners’ performance and the conditions in which they study to identify what may be holding them back. One of the biggest challenges is staffing. Some 53 per cent of the learners who took the test were in schools whose heads reported that teaching had been hampered by a lack of teachers.

This is a problem public schools have grappled with for years, while junior schools are reeling under it despite the recent mass recruitment of teachers. The report recommends investment in professional development, especially in mathematics pedagogy, to strengthen the teachers’ problem-solving instruction. The shortages of textbooks, IT equipment, library or laboratory materials are hampering teaching and learning. Some 55 per cent of the learners suffer at least one form of bullying a few times a month.

The weakness of the education system has come under sharp focus after Kenyans performed dismally in the international test. Learners aged between 15 and 16 years were tested in science, mathematics, and computational problem solving. Over 80 per cent of them failed to reach the minimum proficiency level, highlighting urgent challenges in literacy and numeracy.

These findings should inspire efforts to enhance teaching and learning to boost basic education.

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