Education

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Kenya: Government urged to minimise congestion in schools

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Africa/Kenya/06-01-2021/Author and Source: www.kbc.co.ke

The Ministry of Education has been urged to devise ways of minimising congestion in schools in order to ensure social distancing among learners is achieved.

The National Assembly Administration and Security Committee chairman, Paul Koinange, said when schools re-open Monday, social distancing will pose a major challenge, noting that if not thoroughly addressed, the spread of Covid-19 could increase uncontrollably.

The chairman said the ministry should consider adopting the idea of having morning and afternoon classes in respective streams, noting that despite the fact that most schools have put in place the required ministry of health guidelines, social distancing would be hard to achieve.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/government-urged-to-minimise-congestion-in-schools/

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Kenya: Ksh 4B for free primary education released

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Africa/Kenya/05-01-2021/Author and Source: www.kbc.co.ke

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said the government has  released 4 billion shillings meant for free primary education.

Speaking during a tour to assess the state of preparedness of schools in Kibera  Secondary school Magoha says the government has put in place all measures to ensure smooth resumption of learning noting that deficiencies in the system will be dealt with as learning continues.

The CS cautioned head teachers against sending pupils home due to school fees arrears.

The Education Cabinet Secretary has urged parents to ensure that their children have facemasks saying masks are now considered part of the school uniform.

Magoha also said Precious Talent Academy be reopened for learners in January noting that the school had made changes to meet basic guidelines on safety and health.

He said enrollment at the should not exceed 600 learners.

The school which is located in Dagoretti was shut down in September due to substandard learning structures.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/ksh-40b-for-free-primary-education-released/

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Kenya: Barchok raises reservations over the planned full re-opening of schools

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Africa/Kenya/21-12-2020/Author: Nicholas Kigondu / Stanley Mbugua/Source: www.kbc.co.ke

Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok has raised concern over the state of schools ahead of the planned full re-opening set for January 4th 2021.

Speaking at Ol’Ng’oswet dispensary in Bomet East during a ward visit, Barchok said the ministry of education has not done enough to ensure that schools are ready to re-open.

He said the government should prioritize supporting schools to expand existing infrastructure especially now that the country is faced with the Covid19 pandemic.

According to Barchok, the money meant to expand classrooms are yet to reach respective schools and those contracted to make more desks have not received their payments.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha announced that all schools in the country will reopen on January 4 after nearly a year of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was arrived at following a stakeholders meeting with the government having gradually reopened schools beginning October with learners in Grade 4, class 8 and form 4 having already kicked off their second terms.

The reopening of schools will mark the beginning of the second term of the school calendar which will end on March 19. All learners, with the exception of Class 8 and Form 4, will then have a seven-week holiday to allow primary and secondary school candidates to sit for their exams.

According to the calendar released by the education ministry, Students in Grade 4 and incoming Form One students will remain at home as other learners complete the third term of the school calendar.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/barchok-raises-reservations-over-the-planned-full-re-opening-of-schools/

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Kenya: Govt to develop a digital map to boost school titling program

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Africa/Kenya/11-12-2020/Author an Source: www.kbc.co.ke

The government is developing a digital map indicating the status of land-ownership for all public schools across the country as part of plans to bolster the ongoing campaign of issuing title deeds to government learning institutions to protect them from land grabbers.

Officials with Shule Yangu Alliance, a joint venture by government and partners drawn from the private sector, say the digital map will be in an online portal to give the true reflection of land-ownership for thousands of public schools in all the 47 counties.

Mr. Edwin Birech, a program officer with Shule Yangu Alliance, disclosed that the majority of schools in the country were at risk of being grabbed due lack of title deeds.

Already, he added, 4,000 public schools, both secondary and primary, have registered complaints of being embroiled in land ownership wrangles with suspected fraudsters masquerading as private investors.

Mr. Birech called for community-involvement in safeguarding the schools by establishing the status of such institutions especially if they are located within their areas to shield them from land grabbers and other risks.

He was speaking at Voi on Thursday during a sensitization workshop on the importance of promoting the issuance of title deeds to schools. Amongst those present included members of locally-based Community Based Organization (CBOs), religious leaders, youth leaders and rights activists from the region.

“These public schools principally serve communities in that immediate neighborhood. This is why the public must strive to find out if those schools have title deeds and if not, what is their status so far,” he advised.

The interactive digital map will indicate the counties and all public schools within them. Specific data from schools will include name of school, size of land, status of land ownership and whether the school had land-related cases.

Mr. Birech stated the map will be a one-stop point for providing accurate data on school land. He admitted that tracing some vital documents related to schools was a challenge owing to several factors including devolution where land ownership changed from municipal and town councils to county government.

“Documents for land allocated for schools by former town and municipal councils takes longer to find owing to changes in management of land systems from councils to counties. We are however confident we will get all data and upload it on the portal for people to know the status of their schools,” he said.

From independence to 2015, only 4,998 schools had been issued with title deeds out of over 32,000 registered public schools.

Data from the Shule Yangu Alliance Campaign shows that after the initiative was launched, the number of learning institutions with title deeds rose to 14,714 by 2020. This, the officials say, is a gain of 9,700 title deeds within five years.

A school-ownership registration audit done in 2018/19 disclosed that 4,100 public schools in Kenya are at risk of being grabbed. The officials said there are 161 active cases of school-land grab being followed for action with a view of ensuring the institutions were not deprived of their land.

He disclosed that those cases involved boundary disputes, multiple allocations and blatant grabbing.

Mr. Derick Makhandia, a law expert with Transparency International; a partner in the campaign, stated that community sensitization was key to protecting public schools from being grabbed. He noted that most school land was located in prime areas that had high market value and therefore faced significantly higher risks of being appropriated by fraudsters out to make quick money.

“The onus lies with everyone to make sure the schools are secured from any of those risks,” he said.

In Taita-Taveta County, only 46 public schools have title deeds out of over 300 institutions.  In counties like West Pokot, not a single public school has a title deed.

The Shule Yangu Campaign has already conducted sensitization workshops in several counties including Elgeyo Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, Kiambu, Nairobi, Machakos and Kisumu. Others counties are Homabay and Vihiga.

In May, the Chief Administrative Secretary for Lands Gideon Mung’aro said the Lands Ministry would start issuing title deeds for all public lands in the country; a program that will run alongside the Shule Yangu Campaign

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/govt-to-develop-a-digital-map-to-boost-school-titling-program/

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Kenya: Education ministry launches online safety manual for children

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Africa/Kenya /22-11-2020/Author: Margaret Kalekye/Source: www.kbc.co.ke

The Ministry of Education has launched the first children and facilitators manuals for training on online safety and security.

The manual approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in collaboration with Terre des Hommes Netherlands ensures children can develop in a safe environment.

The manual comes in a time when Kenya and the world at large are facing challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic with internet and mobile penetration getting into the hearts of children exposing them to online sexual exploitation.

Online learning has been the new normal since March 15th when schools were closed in Kenya due to Covid-19, thus leading to the tremendous rise of online activities by the young generation at home.

Speaking during the launch, Mr. Rapheal Kariuki, Africa Head of Region highlighted the key overall goal of the Safe Online Project which is to prevent and respond to Online Child Sexual Exploitation in three main hubs Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

“The manuals will be used to create awareness among children, parents and caregivers to be able to identify, respond and prevent online abuse and exploitation as part of its Safe Online Project implemented in Kenya. The main components of the project include awareness creation, psychosocial support, capacity building and access to justice for the victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation. Terre des Hommes Netherlands is also partnering with different institutions like the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Prosecution to deliver the project.” he added.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, George Magoha pointed out that it is a joy to finally come up with a curriculum after a long journey of research.

The launch has come in a very sensitive time where the change in normalcy brought by Covid-19 has led to increased use of digital devices in learning.

KICD also appreciated the quality of the team to boldly take the step and bring in the manuals.

The National Cyber Security will also collaborate in this initiative to help parents be able to register sim-cards for minors said, The Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK), Patricia Muchiri

“We have taken child online protection and lessons to where the children are. There has been an exponential growth of use of digital devices. We are almost to get the strategy that brings together all stakeholders so that we harness a collective national effort and this manual is key in all the information we need” she added.

Through the manuals, parents and caregivers across the country will need to have an urgent sensitisation on how to monitor and supervise online activities undertaken by their children.

The training will help children be aware that they can be digitally safe by going online and watching relevant things.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/education-ministry-launches-online-safety-manual-for-children/

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Kenya: MKU VC lauds digital learning as University welcomes new students

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Africa/Kenya/15-11-2020/Autor(a): Hunja Macharia/Fuente: www.kbc.co.ke

Mount Kenya University has successfully embraced digital platforms to support online learning through innovative and collaborative technologies.

MKU Vice Chancellor Stanley Waudo says the decision was arrived at after the Government closed all learning institutions early in the year after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

“On-line learning is student-centered; it encourages students to take responsibility of their own learning through solving problems, practicing, progressing and has real-time feedback from educators. Undoubtedly, with the wider spread of technology, online learning has the potential of being a viable alternative mode of learning,” Waudo said.

The Vice Chancellor spoke during the orientation of new students who are joining the University to undertake various courses.

He said the purpose of student orientation is to equip new students with information that can facilitate adaption to an academic environment.

Waudo emphasized on the need for students to embrace online learning saying, “Digital transformation in Kenya and across the globe is a trend that has redefined learning through creating learning experiences that inspire lifelong learning.”

He called for student responsibility in online learning saying they must Overcome perceptions and preconceptions about online learning as well as avoid dependence on teachers.

Waudo said the University stands for innovation, excellence, integrity and unity of purpose and urged the new students to put a lot of emphasis on the values.

“I draw your attention to the four MKU core values which will enable each one of you to adapt positively within our environment,” He said.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/mku-vc-lauds-digital-learning-as-university-welcomes-new-students/

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Govt: Students already in schools to continue learning. Kenya

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Africa/Kenya/01-11-2020/Author and Source: ww.kbc.co.ke

The Ministry of Education will not close schools for students who have already resumed learning, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Belio Kipsang has said.

Dr. Kipsang said the children are far safer in schools because the school environment is regulated unlike the environments outside educational institutions.

He made the remarks after assessing the teaching and learning environments at Naivasha Girls High School and Naivasha High School, its boys’ counterpart in Naivasha town Friday.

The Principal Secretary had earlier inspected the production of Desks for schools in workshops in the town.

Dr. Kipsang asked adult Kenyans to give learners an opportunity to invest in their future by creating safe environments for the children to learn.

 He said adults should avoid going to social places or other environments that exposed them to Covid-19, saying this behavior put their children and everybody else at risk.

He said the Ministry, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health was monitoring the behavior Covid-19 was taking in the community,

He said the government would, based on the assessment of the situation, decide how to handle learners who still remained at home following the phased reopening of schools.

Dr. Kipsang, however, ruled out the closing of schools for grade 4, class 8 and form four students.

He said the government had put in place appropriate measures to ensure the safety of children in school.

He said safety of the workplaces, schools and social places were very important in ensuring the safety of everybody including children.

Dr. Kipsang said artisans had already started delivering desks as contracted by the government.

He however asked suppliers of raw materials not to inflate the prices of blackboards and steel metals used in the production of the desks.

 Present during the PS assessment tour included Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner, Kisilu Mutua, and area Deputy Director for education, Mr. Bernard Chirchir.

Source and Image: https://www.kbc.co.ke/govt-students-schools-learning/

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