USIU: Clean school environment key for economic growth

By Standard Digital Reporter

NAIROBI,KENYA: Kenya has in the past few years seen a steep increase in public school enrollment as a result of the free primary education program initiated by the government.

While the move was an important one in ensuring the country increases literacy levels and contributes towards realizing its millennium development goals, the infrastructure was not prepared for the rapid increase in student population. As such, the primary level education sector has seen a series of challenges including the depreciation of school facilities and strained teacher to student ratio, affecting the quality of education.

While the Jubilee government has promised to address the sector’s problems, there continues to be sharp criticism following its promise to issue laptops to class one pupils in all public schools. Some have described this as misplaced priorities for the government against the backdrop of poor school facilities and disgruntled teachers.

The current situation leaves a lot to be desired which has resulted in a number of corporate organizations through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs to continue supporting the sector through material donations such as desks, books, fixing of structures and building classrooms, playing an important role in ensuring that as many pupils have the basic facilities to gain an education. 

Institutions of higher learning have also joined in on CSR activities targeting the education sector. At USIU, employees and students come together each September to mark the institution’s Community Service Day. The institution also strives to incorporate Community Service and Development in the students’ professional and personal lives through a mandatory Community Service Program as part of a degree qualification requirement.

Speaking at Murema Primary School in Kasarani where USIU marked this year’s community service day, Prof. Freida Brown said, “A clean and safe learning environment is a basic right to every child. Therefore, this year, the university focused its CSR efforts towards boosting primary students’ morale by creating an aesthetic environment conducive for learning which has been done through a number of related activities such as painting the interior and exterior surfaces of four classrooms, replacing window panes, installing soft boards among other repair works.”

With Sadolin Paints as this year’s partner, artworks on a pre-school and class eight block were initiate. Speaking at the event, Mihira Patel from Sadolin Paints assured participants that the paint was lead free and therefore not a health risk.

Other activities included cleaning of the school and planting of over 200 tree seedlings. Research shows that the smallest details in the school environment have an impact on pupils’ ability to achieve academically.

Engaging pupils in the CSR activities such as planting trees also instills good citizenship practice in them and as a result, they are able to respect and promote the environmental health of the society that they live in.

“Investing in people not only through education but also reaching out to them with the community service spirit ensures that they are not only focused on profits in their businesses but also on the planet’s sustainability,” Prof. Brown noted. Ensuring that students are aware of the link between profits and the community’s wellbeing is paramount in ensuring economic sustainability in the long run.

The United States International University spends over 70 million Kenya Shillings on CSR projects annually, with the Community Service Day drawing the largest participation. The Financial Aid program also ensures that bright but needy students get access to education at the institution.

With Kenya paying special attention to Education under its Vision 2030 social pillar, more support must be directed to ensuring the quality of education does not decline and that students remain in school despite the continuous challenges the sector faces.

Finding ways to creatively stimulate education for both pupils and teachers by improving the school environment will not only impact academic achievements but also enhance health due to the clean environment. These same principles will be carried forward by the children into their adult life, creating responsible citizens who pay attention to their environment.

Initiating sustainable programs and policies that safeguard and enhance school environments will go a long way in contributing to a healthy, safe school environment that will in turn churn a valuable workforce that will contribute to the country’s economic environment.