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Kenya aligns education objectives with SDGs

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Education Belio Kipsang Tuesday said the policy will ensure the mainstreaming education for sustainable development as the country continues to carry out reforms in the sector/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 21 – The Ministry of Education has launched a policy document on Education and Sustainable Development (ESD) geared towards achieving provision of quality education as provided for under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Education Belio Kipsang Tuesday said the policy will ensure the mainstreaming education for sustainable development as the country continues to carry out reforms in the sector.

“This policy will enable the implementation of ESD across the educational sector to enhance the attainment of SDGs by improving quality of education, building capacity at all levels and enhancing public understating on SDGs,” Kipsang said during the launch at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

Education is goal 4 among 17 goals outlined in the SDGs which came into force on January 1, 2016 after adoption by world leaders in September 2015 during the United Nations General Assembly.

The goal aims at ensuring inclusivity and provision of quality education for all by the year 2030.

According to Kipsang, the government will continue to enhance the learning environment in all public schools countrywide through identification of policy gaps and continuous monitoring and evaluation of challenges derailing the education sector as it seeks to address existing challenges.

The ministry, he said will observe Global Action Programme (GAP) commitments of developing ESD policy for the education sector and mainstreaming of the policy into the curriculum.

He further called upon other stakeholders in the education sector to support the ministry as it undertakes reforms, assuring stakeholders of the government’s commitment to build the capacity of teachers.

His sentiments were echoed by Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Chairperson Mudzo Nzili who commended the government for improving the learning environment in public schools across the country.

Nzili said the electrification of public schools and scrapping of registration fees for national examinations has given fresh impetus to the country’s education system.

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“President Uhuru (Kenyatta) has done his best if you compare what he has done in four years against what has been done in over 40 years. I would give him a score of 80 per cent,” Nzili told Capital FM News shortly after the launch.

Challenging other elected leaders to offer their contribution in improving the quality of learning in the country, Nzili said county governments and other elected representatives should help build classrooms and other essential facilities in their respective constituencies.

“Anyone who is a Governor, MP or MCA and in their counties, constituencies or wards and there are schools within their jurisdiction with no classrooms, they should be ashamed. They should not even defend their seats,” he said.

He however called for recruitment of more teachers to improve pupil/student – teacher ratio which he said acts as an impediment to delivery of quality education.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi will chair the National Steering Committee on implementation of the policy which will be cascaded to the county level and various institutions of learning.

The launch was also attended by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) National Commission Secretary Evangeline Njoka and the Policy Director in the Ministry Mogaka Ogutu.

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