Post-Covid 19 UN summit on reforms in education timely

On Monday, the global education community is expected to converge in New York to participate in the transforming education summit convened by the UN Secretary-General. The summit has been organised alongside the 77th UN General Assembly and seeks to mobilise political ambition, action, solutions and solidarity to transform education: to take stock of efforts to recover pandemic-related learning losses, to reimagine education systems for the world of today and tomorrow and to revitalise national and global efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal number four.

Kenya has made significant progress in expanding access to education at all levels. This has mainly been achieved through provision of capitation grants as well as targeted programmes that address barriers to education, especially for vulnerable learners. In addition, efforts have been made to improve and adapt infrastructure and learning environment to fully cater for the well-being of all learners, including those with special educational needs. Enhancing safety and health of learners, adopting innovative approaches to schooling, and addressing gender issues in education with a focus to both boys and girls, has also contributed greatly towards achieving inclusive and equitable education

The call to transform education is timely not only for the recovery from pandemic disruptions but to also ensure learners acquire the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes from the education system. While Its true that the pandemic widened the inequality gap, exposed the digital divide, many developing countries were facing learning crisis even before the pandemic. Despite the close to nine months closure of schools, the pandemic demonstrated Kenya's resilience in education, building on our past investment and foundational work to reopen and run safe schools amid Covid-19.

Kenya's effort in successfully opening schools during the pandemic was acknowledged globally. This effort is attributed to the concerted work by all education personnel from the headquarters to the lowest education administrative unit- the school. Some of the mitigation measures we put in place included; the development of a Covid-19 response plan, the development of guidelines on health and safety protocols and use of alternative modalities and platforms for remote and blended teaching and learning; enhanced supply of instructional materials and back-to-school campaigns that included tracking and mobilising learners at risk of dropping out of school.

Upon re-opening of schools, we conducted a national learning assessment to establish learning loss in basic education and this informed remedial and catch-up programmes for the weak learners.

A major thematic action track in the summit is financing of education. Internationally, it is recommended that a country should spend between 15 per cent to 20 per cent of its annual budget on education. Domestic funding is and will remain the most significant and sustainable form of funding for education. Kenya has consistently increased education expenditure over the years which currently stands at 25.9 per cent of the total public expenditure. A key milestone in education financing is the Kenyatta Declaration demonstrated during the Global Education Summit held in London in July 2021 where Kenya rallied world leaders to commit to increased domestic education spending.

Moving forward with the transformation agenda of the sector, we need to focus more on the implementation challenges brought about by the recent reforms, key among being addressing the congestion in our secondary schools as a result of the 100 per cent transition policy and relooking at laws governing the sector with a view to removing duplications and improving linkages among implementing agencies. Addressing efficiency within the sector and providing support to teachers is also areas that we need to build on. On financing, the review of primary education capitation that was introduced in 2003 is worth considering.

The writer is Director General at Ministry of Education