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Education CS mourns late General Ogolla as a patriot

Most retain seats in kakamega kessha elections as michael amukowa remains chair, uon mourns late general ogolla as a brilliant servant, tsc sub-county directors go through skills training in naivasha, why passion is what everyone needs to achieve anything in life, ray of hope for contract teachers as court declares internship illegal.

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Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu has mourned the late General Francis Ogolla as a patriot who was out on duty to inspect the ongoing repairs of schools that have been vandalized by bandits in the North Rift. Listing the schools in his short condolence message as Chesitet Primary, Cheptulel Boys, Chepoton Primary, Ksaa Primary…

Michael Amukowa Ochiel has retained the Kakamega County KESSHA Chair position after trouncing his competitor Sylvester Ashioya by a margin of 117 votes, garnering 244 against 127. Quick to thank his colleagues for their confidence in his leadership, Amukowa promised to unite the region and cooperate with all education stakeholders in the county to improve…

University of Nairobi (UoN) alumni association in Homa Bay has mourned the late General Francis Ogolla as a brilliant man who discharged his services diligently. On learning about his demise, they assembled at a Hotel in Homa Bay town to hold prayers for God to give them courage and comfort the deceased’s family. Led by…

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Why public figures must keep off affairs of independent commissions

KNUT wants headship titles fashioned to reflect size of responsibility

CEMASTEA begins training of JSS teachers for STEM pathway

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Easy Coach driver arraigned in court to answer charges relating to death of student

Principals of Nyandarua plead with govt to release capitation in time

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Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu has mourned the late General Francis Ogolla as a…

Michael Amukowa Ochiel has retained the Kakamega County KESSHA Chair position after trouncing his competitor…

University of Nairobi (UoN) alumni association in Homa Bay has mourned the late General Francis…

A three-day training for TSC Sub County Directors kicked off yesterday in Naivasha after the…

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In the recent past, when Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke (German preacher) went to meet his maker,…

The Employment and Labour Relations Court (ELRC) has ruled that recruitment of intern teachers is…

That the management of some of the independent constitutional commissions was going to be very…

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) now wants the government to apply proper titles…

The Centre for Mathematics Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) has rolled out training…

The driver of the ill-fated Easy Coach bus that killed one and injured 9 students…

Nyandarua County’s secondary school principals have asked the government to hasten the disbursement of capitation…

Outgoing KESSHA Chair reveals the ups and downs of relationship with TSC, MoE

The outgoing KESSHA National Chairman Kahi Indimuli has revealed how the relationship with his employer…

Wings to Fly sponsored 2000 needy students in 2022/23, reveals bank

Equity Bank’s Wings to Fly programme sponsored 2000 students from poor homes across the country…

11,310 teachers have been removed from Metropolitan Sacco remittance list, TSC reveals

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has revealed the number of teachers whose remittances to Metropolitan…

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UoN alumni schedule inaugural walk to support needy students for May 4

The University of Nairobi (UoN) alumni association has organised an inaugural walk to take place…

The hard question of remuneration remains hanging as CSOs workshop ends today

The contentious issue of remuneration for Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) remains unresolved as the national…

West Pokot girl qualifies East Africa games in high jump

Naomi Chenangat from West Pokot will represent Kenya in the East Africa athletics competitions to…

15,000 trees planted in 17 primary schools in Kitui

Some 15,000 tree seedlings were planted last weekend in 17 primary schools in Kitui Central…

Kisii KESSHA thrown into mourning as Vice Chair dies in accident

Kisii County teaching fraternity is engulfed in shock and mourning after the sudden death of…

MPs question rationale behind payment of school fees via e-Citizen

The National Assembly’s Education Committee has questioned the rationale behind President William Ruto’s directive to…

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Latest Education News in Kenya

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Kenya’s school reform is entering a new phase in 2023 – but the country isn’t ready

Lecturer of Education Management and Policy, Kenyatta University

Disclosure statement

Janerose Mutegi Kibaara does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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The start of the 2023 school year in Kenya marked an important occasion: the first cohort of pupils to adopt a new curriculum in 2017 entered junior secondary school .

The competence-based curriculum , as it is known, was launched in 2017 to replace the 8-4-4 system that had been in place for 32 years. The older system was criticised for its emphasis on teachers instructing students and on examinations. An evaluation in 1998, 13 years after it was introduced, detailed numerous shortcomings. These include subjecting students to a heavy workload .

The new curriculum aims at learners constructing their own knowledge and skills through exposure to challenging situations and experience. It is learner-centred and adaptive to the changing needs of students by encouraging innovativeness and creativity. Learners explore and find solutions in classrooms that are connected to real-life situations.

Since 2017, the new curriculum has been introduced in phases. Children who entered grade 1 at all public schools and all but a handful of private schools that year have been taught the new curriculum since day one. Six years on, approximately 1.2 million of those pupils, aged around 12, are entering grade 7. This grade, along with grade 8 next year, will be known as junior secondary school – a stage which hasn’t previously existed in Kenya. This stage will be housed in primary rather than in secondary schools.

But that is about all Kenyans know for sure about junior secondary school. Schools are poorly prepared to host and instruct junior secondary classes. Classrooms are incomplete, laboratories are lacking and learning materials have yet to be delivered to schools.

On top of this, the presidential Working Party on Education set up in September 2022 to assess hurdles to implementation and other practical questions has yet to publish its recommendations on implementation. The practical issues include a widespread perception that the new system is a financial burden for poor parents .

The government’s immediate task is therefore two-fold. First, it must try to ensure that the quality of education does not suffer. Second, it must provide education without discriminating against any learner based on their social or economic background. This would allay fears that the new system favours the rich.

Read more: 6 priorities to get Kenya's curriculum back on track – or risk excluding many children from education

The main challenges

There are three major hurdles to successfully implementing the new curriculum.

The first relates to preparedness of teachers and teaching material. Facilities like laboratories and workshops that are a key requirement for successful implementation of the curriculum are yet to be built, and the teaching materials are not ready for grade 7 learners.

Three years ago, Kenya’s main teachers’ union reported that an internal survey found that few primary school teachers across all 47 counties had been trained to roll the curriculum out. The union said training was truncated from the stipulated five days to just two or three days per school term. Teachers, by their own admission, lack the knowledge and skills they need to follow the curriculum.

This problem is compounded by chronic under-staffing in most schools across Kenya. The teacher deficit stands at over 90,000. This is mainly due to a freeze in employment imposed in 1997 owing to budgetary constraints. Until the 2022 order to hire 30,000 new teachers , only enough were employed to replace those retiring or leaving the profession through natural attrition. The new hires, though welcome, are a drop in the ocean.

The second hurdle is physical facilities: there simply isn’t enough room for the new pupils. The lack of infrastructure is a challenge which the government hasn’t met over the years. Some learners continue to attend lessons under trees.

Finally, the curriculum has been labelled as very expensive especially for parents in rural areas and those with low incomes. This is because parents are frequently called upon to buy materials for practical classwork. The assumption that all parents can afford smartphones and have access to a computer or printing services for some assignments has also not gone down well.

This would appear to advantage some students at the expense of others and add to existing disparities. This raises concern because education is a basic human right.

Way forward

One of the biggest challenges in Kenya is implementation of policies. This was also evidenced in the early years of the education system that is now being phased out. This is partly due to the failure to involve all stakeholders in education and the private sector to enhance partnerships and collaboration. Working together could promote innovation and research to make the education system relevant and practical.

Faced with the current challenges, the government can borrow a leaf from UNESCO’s guidelines on quality education for all. The recommendation calls for partnerships of all actors to learn, compile and evaluate good practices, provide resources enabling practitioners to exchange experiences, and pilot and scale up good ideas.

The government needs to ensure quality education without discriminating against any learner based on their social or economic background.

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Education News Hub

ministry of education kenya latest news today

Primary schools to benefit from padding girls initiative.

Padding the Girl Initiative, an NGO targets to provide 1,500 girls in 12 primary schools in Nambale Constituency with free sanitary pads in a programme dubbed ‘Zero Early Pregnancies.’ Ms Maureen Odhiambo, The NGO’s Chairperson who eyes Busia Woman Rep’s seat in next year’s General Election blamed local elected leaders of ignoring the plight of young girls in … Read more

Schools With Low Enrollment To Be Closed- CS Maagoha Says

Schools With Low Enrollment To Be Closed Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha said schools that have a low enrollment of students will be closed in a bid to save government resources. Magoha noted that there are some schools with so few students, some as low as 12 across all the classes receiving government funding. … Read more

Time allocation for all subjects in the time table- Education Ministry Circular

The Ministry of Education has released a circular detailing the number of lessons to be taught for every subject. Via a circular titled ‘TIME ALLOCATION IN LESSONS FOR THE REVISED CURRICULUM’, the Ministry has revised the number of lessons per subject in secondary schools. Physical Education (PE) and Life Skills have been allocated time in … Read more

Education Ministry Unveils National Communication And Advocacy Strategy (NCAS)

The Ministry of Education today launched the National Communications and Advocacy Strategy (NCAS) for the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sub-sector to streamline communication in the vocational institutions. “It is our believe that the strategy will among other things create youth aspiration in TVET, change the narrative in contemporary society, create awareness on … Read more

Schools asked not to force parents to buy text books

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has dismissed claims that the competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is expensive, as the government procures books for learning in public institutions. Responding to claims that parents are being asked to purchase a lot of learning materials for the new CBC curriculum, the KICD Chief Executive Officer, Prof Charles … Read more

All 2020 KCPE students must join form one- Education Ministry Says

Since 2018, the government embarked on a programme to ensure that henceforth all class 8 candidates transit to secondary school, KCPE results notwithstanding. The programme known as the 100 per cent transition to high schools has not been a walk in the park though due to many challenges facing it. Kisumu County Director of Education … Read more

Education CS says Schools will reopen in May as earlier planned- Latest Education News

Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha has come out to array fears over uncertainty in schools’ reopening. Speaking in Kiambu County on Monday Monday, while supervising the opening of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams container, the CS said current data shows a decline in Covid-19 infections, thus there are no plans to further … Read more

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OFFICIAL CONTACTS

Ministry Of Education State Department of Vocational and Technical Training P.O BOX 9583-00200 Nairobi,Kenya Jogoo House B,Harambee Avenue Tel: +254-020-3318581 Fax: +254-020-251991 Email: [email protected] State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education P.O Box 30040-00100 Nairobi, Kenya Jogoo House B, Harambee Avenue Tel: +254-020-3318581 Fax: +254-020-20214287 Email:  [email protected] Directorate of Technical Education  24th Floor, Teleposta Towers, Nairobi, … Read more

President Uhuru launches 4-K clubs for schools; To get Sh2.2 Billion funding

President Uhuru Kenyatta has today unveiled the Shs 2.2bn Empowering Novel Agribusiness-led Employment (ENABLE Kenya) program, a youth capacity building initiative aimed at creating employment, generating income and bridging succession gap in agribusiness. At the same event, the President unveiled the rebranded 4-K Clubs with a call to County Governments and stakeholders in the agriculture … Read more

CS Magoha gives new guidelines on school fees arrears

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has instructed school principals not to allow students who have fees arrears back to school as they report from their mid-term break. Prof. Magoha said the Ministry is aware that majority of parents who are yet to clear school fees arrears for their children are indeed capable, but were … Read more

Fire razes down girls school’s dormitory

An early morning fire today gutted a dormitory at Al Maktoum Girls High School in Kajiado town. The fire which broke out at around 5am Wednesday, destroyed beddings and students’ personal belongings leaving 56 students without a place to sleep. Villagers rushed to the scene to help put out the fire but it had already … Read more

Form ones to receive 600,000 packets of sanitary towels

The American Embassy has donated 600,000 packets of sanitary towels to 357,029 needy girls in form one who were placed in public day Secondary schools. This is in a bid to minimize absenteeism, drop out, increased teacher /learner contact hours, retention and delivery of quality learning of girls in schools. The Ministry of Education has … Read more

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Kenya’s military chief dies in a helicopter crash

FILE - Kenya’s military chief General Francis Ogolla is dressed in full uniform at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 14, 2023. Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday, April 18, 2024, evening and declared three days of national mourning. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

FILE - Kenya’s military chief General Francis Ogolla, right, and Kenya’s President William Ruto, left, at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Nov. 14, 2023. Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday, April 18, 2024, evening and declared three days of national mourning. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

FILE - Kenya Air Force Brigadier Francis Ogolla speaks to journalists in Nyanyuki airstrip, Kenya, Aug. 15, 2012. Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday, April 18, 2024, evening and declared three days of national mourning. (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi, File)

FILE - Kenya’s military chief General Francis Ogolla, right, shakes hand with Britain’s King Charles III, left, and Kenya’s President William Ruto, center, as they attend a military welcome ceremony during Charles’ visit at the Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2023. Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday, April 18, 2024, evening and declared three days of national mourning. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

FILE - Kenya’s military personnel practice maneuvers as part of Britain’s King Charles III’s visit to the Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa, Kenya, Nov. 2, 2023. Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday, April 18, 2024, evening and declared three days of national mourning. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s military chief Gen. Francis Ogolla died in a helicopter crash west of the country, President William Ruto announced Thursday and declared three days of national mourning.

The helicopter was carrying 11 people, including Gen. Ogolla, when it crashed Thursday and caught fire in a remote area near the border with Uganda, killing nine people onboard, the president said.

It is unclear what caused the crash.

Gen. Ogolla, 61, was on a tour of the country’s troubled western region that has seen frequent attacks by local bandits.

He was appointed Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces in April last year after Gen. Robert Kibochi retired.

Political controversy surrounded Ogolla even before his appointment, when he was accused by the country’s electoral commission chairperson as being part of a national security council delegation that tried to influence the outcome of the 2022 general election against President Ruto.

Ruto later explained that he called Gen. Ogolla before his appointment and said that, despite the election controversy, he was the most qualified for the job.

Gen Ogolla joined Kenya’s military force 40 years ago.

He was a graduate of École Militaire de Paris, the National Defence College of Kenya, Egerton University and the University of Nairobi.

Gen. Ogolla is survived by his wife Aileen, two children and a grandson.

Follow AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Biden's Education Secretary vows to shut down the largest Christian university in the US

A fter Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona vowed to shut down Grand Canyon University (GCU), the largest Christian university in the U.S., GCU officials are pushing back, telling Fox News Digital the crackdown stems from "deeply held bias."

Cardona made comments during a House Appropriations Committee hearing about cracking down on GCU and other universities like it on April 10.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., asked Cardona how the administration is working to shut down GCU, which she called "a predatory for-profit school." 

Cardona openly embraced their enforcement methods, declaring "we are cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message to not prey on students." 

LARGEST CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY IN THE NATION ALLEGES IT'S BEING UNJUSTLY TARGETED BY FEDERAL AGENCIES

"Last year, your Department took action against Grand Canyon University, a predatory for-profit college, over the school’s failure to accurately disclose its cost to students, driving up the true cost for those students requiring for them to pay for continuation courses before they would graduate – scam courses added about $10,000 or more to the cost of education to these kids," DeLauro said.

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"Going after predatory schools preying on first generation students. They have flashy marketing materials, but the product is not worth the paper it is printed on. Increased enforcement budget to go after these folks and crack down. Levied largest fine in history against a school that lied about costs and terminated a school from Title IV. We are cracking down not only to shut them down, but to send a message not to prey on students," Cardona responded. 

GCU appealed a $37.7 million fine imposed by the department in November on allegations that the Arizona-based higher learning institution misled students about the cost of its doctoral programs over several years.

The fine is much larger than what the Department of Education previously gave to schools like Penn State ($2.4 million) and Michigan State ($4.5 million) for failing to address Jerry Sandusky and Larry Nassar’s crimes, respectively. 

The department said in an October press release that an investigation conducted by the office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) found GCU "lied" to over 7,500 former and current students about the cost of its doctoral programs. The release also said GCU "falsely advertises" a lower cost for its doctoral programs, adding that about 98% of students ended up paying more than the advertised cost.

The university was given a 20-day deadline to request a hearing with the ED’s Office of Hearings and Appeals or file a response to the FSA to explain why the fine should not be imposed. The Department also imposed specific conditions on the school to continue participating in the federal student aid programs.

A GCU spokesperson told Fox News Digital that they do not expect a hearing to take place until January. 

"Our next recourse after that decision would be another appeal within the Department, this time directly to the Secretary of Education," the GCU official said.

"This is far from being a few rotten apples in the bunch. Predatory for-profit colleges have engaged in a range of deceptions designed to increase enrollment and student costs to drive more revenue for owners and shareholders," DeLauro said during the April 10 hearing. "How are you and your agency committing to increased oversight of these institutions and are there anyway in which we can shut these folks down?" 

Cardona said that the agency employed "multiple strategies" to crack down on for-profit universities, such as "borrower defense, debt discharge, holding colleges more accountable, and holding higher education institutions more accountable."

In regard to borrower defense, Cardona added that for-profit colleges were "preying on first-generation students."

"You have a shiny brochure and a great commercial. But the product is not worth the paper it's written on. We have students graduating 60K to 70K dollars in debt, only eligible for jobs making under 30K–that to me is unacceptable."

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In response to Cardona's comment about shutting down universities like GCU, a GCU spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "officials continue to make derogatory and inflammatory public statements that are legally and factually incorrect and not shared by any of the other 26 regulatory and accrediting bodies that oversee GCU."

"The Secretary’s comments to the House Appropriations Committee were so reckless that GCU is demanding an immediate retraction, as they do not reflect the factual record in this case. He is either confused, misinformed or does not understand the actions taken by his own agency," the spokesperson added.

The president of GCU previously expressed to Fox News Digital sentiments of being "unfairly targeted."

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Cardona’s comments came after the announcement of a petition to "protect Christian colleges," launched by the American Principles Project (APP).

The petition was launched in "light of the Biden administration’s unprecedented attacks on our nation’s largest Christian colleges" and demands that "the administration halt their crusade and let students choose the schools that fit their values."

"The federal government’s education agenda is punishing schools that do not conform to their progressive ideology. It’s time we take a stand against this egregious abuse of power," APP Policy Director Jon Schweppe said. "The scrutinize-and-penalize campaign against faith-based institutions is not about students’ interests or well-being. Rather, it’s part of a concerted effort to snuff out education choice and promote far-left values. It's critical that Americans be aware of this shameful campaign and that we do all we can to put a stop to it."

In response to APP's efforts, GCU officials told Fox News Digital that the "American people are losing confidence in the federal government to be fair and objective in their operations."

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"There are clearly no checks and balances to prevent this type of behavior from the Department of Education," they added. "We support any organization that is willing to shed light on the federal government’s unwarranted and targeted actions taken against GCU. If they can make these claims against the largest Christian university in the country, other faith-based organizations could be next."

Additionally, the Goldwater Institute sued ED in February in federal court for "refusing to turn over public records" related to its $37.7 million fine against GCU. They claimed that the records specifically may inform the public about coordination between various federal agencies in what appears to be the "intentional targeting of a successful university based on extraordinarily thin allegations."

The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Original article source: Biden's Education Secretary vows to shut down the largest Christian university in the US