REPUBLIC OF KENYA GOVERNMENT OF MAKUENI COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SPORTS AND ICT MAKUENI COUNTY EDUCATION AND TRAINING POLICY 2022 1 FOREWORD The government of Makueni County is committed to implementing the international, regional, national and county commitments to education such as the Education for All goals, (EFA), the Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs), the Vision 2030, and the Basic Education Act among others. The Makueni Vision 2025 recognizes education as a key contributor to socioeconomic development. The promulgation of the Kenya Constitution 2010, defined the collaborative and distinct education functions for the two levels of government with pre-primary education and village polytechnics falling under the county governments and the rest falling under the national government. We are delighted as a county government to roll out the Makueni Education and Training policy (2020). This policy is an expression of the collective commitment of the County Government and stakeholders to promote creation of quality education and training for the residents. The policy is an outcome of a broad-based consultative process and is designed to promote the creation of a sustainable education structure in the county. The strategies in this policy address various components of education in all the levels. The government commits to bring on board all education players in order to synergize our individual efforts for a greater benefit in the promotion of literacy and vocational skills. Additionally, it will endeavor to provide incentives for linkages and participation for youth engaged in skills training. In this regard, the Government seeks the concerted and supportive efforts by all stakeholders in the education sector, nationally and locally, and indeed the entire education and training system for successful implementation of this policy. County Executive Committee Member EDUCATION, SPORTS & ICT 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The development of this policy has taken close to two years and involved a wide array of stakeholders and actors. The Department appreciates the efforts, commitment and synergy by all parties who participated in the formulation, development and finalization of this policy. Very special gratitude goes to the Technical Committee led by Dr. Naomi Makau (CECM – Education, Sports & ICT) and members drawn from the department of Education, Legal, SDU, and office of the County Secretary. Team effort and tenacity in development of this policy is highly appreciated. Stakeholders including the teacher organizations, management bodies, teachers, parents, trainers and trainees with disabilities, managers of CTTI’s and departmental ICT officers among others participated in different stages of the policy development process. I wish to specifically appreciate Meshack Musyoki, County Liaison Officer, who provided technical support in the shaping, compilation and editorial review of this policy. Key informants among them partners and staff of the Department and those from the County Legal Office acknowledged for their commitment to development of this policy. Chief Officer, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 3 ACRONYMS BoGs Board of Governors CBC Competency Based Curriculum CCD Care for Childhood Development CDF Constituency Development Fund CECM County Executive Committee Member CIDP County Integrated Development Plan CO Chief Officer CoE Centre of Excellence CPSB County Public Service Board CTTI County Technical Training Institutes ECDE Early Childhood Development and Education EFA Education For All GMC Government of Makueni County HR Human Resource ICT Information and communications Technology KEPSHA Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association KESSHA Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association KEWI Kenya Water Institute KPLC Kenya Power and Lighting Company KSRAT Kenya Schools Readiness Assessment Tool MCSRAT Makueni County Schools Readiness Assessment Tool MoE Ministry of Education NER Net Enrollment rate NGO Non- Governmental Organization SDGS Sustainable Development Goals STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics TSC Teachers Service Commission TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training TVET CDACC TVET Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council TVETA Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority UNCRC United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UPE Universal Primary Education WASH Water Sanitation and Hygiene YASA Youth Association for Safety Awareness 4 Contents FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................................................ 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUD ................................................................................................ 6 1.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... 6 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.1 Pre-Primary Education ............................................................................................................................. 9 1.3.2 Technical and Vocational Training ............................................................................................................ 11 1.3.3 Support to Education ................................................................................................................................. 13 CHALLENGES ............................................................................................................................................................... 16 1.4.1 Challenges in Pre-primary Education..................................................................................................... 16 1.4.2 Challenges in Technical and Vocational Training .................................................................................. 17 1.4.3 Challenges in support to education ....................................................................................................... 19 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................. 20 1.3.2 International Frameworks ..................................................................................................................... 20 1.3.3 Constitution of Kenya 2010 ................................................................................................................... 21 1.3.4 Other National Government Legislation ................................................................................................ 21 1.3.5 Policy Framework .................................................................................................................................. 21 1.3.6 Makueni County Policy and Legislative Framework .............................................................................. 22 CHAPTER TWO: POLICY SCOPE, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ............................................................................. 23 2.3 PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................ 23 2.4 TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING ............................................................................................................. 24 2.4 SUPPORT TO EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER THREE: ACTORS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................. 28 3.1 PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION ................................................................................................................................ 28 TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING ........................................................................................................................... 29 SUPPORT TO EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER FOUR: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, MONITORING & EVALUATION AND REVIEW MECHANISM ........................................................................................................................................... 31 4.1 POLICY IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX ..................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.1 Pre-primary Education ........................................................................................................................... 31 4.1.2 Technical Education ............................................................................................................................... 33 4.1.3 Support to Education ............................................................................................................................. 35 4.2 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ........................................................................................................................ 35 5. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION ................................................................................................................................ 36 6. OPERATIONALIZATION ..................................................................................................................................... 36 7. POLICY REVIEW .............................................................................................................................................. 36 5 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUD 1.1 Introduction Education systems the world over have evolved to ensure that quality lies at their core whilst also ensuring that the prevailing needs of society are addressed. Quality and sustainable education is a transformative force and a backbone for development in society. All the building blocks of development and society advancement require some form of education to thrive hence the importance of quality education cannot be over-emphasized. The future of the globe rests firmly in how our education systems are designed to not only provide essential skills but also to adapt to the ever-changing dynamics in today’s society. The strategies to attain quality education differ from state to state or from region to region and they depend on a myriad of factors though the objective remains the same: ensuring that education is inclusive, accessible and imparts the necessary skills for sustainable development. In Kenya, the education system consists of basic education (pre-primary, primary and secondary) and tertiary (TVETS, university, college). The education curriculum has evolved into a competency-based curriculum which focuses on skills and attitudes that learners need to apply in their professional life. It shifts the education practice from teacher-centered approaches to learner- centered approaches. Governance of education in Kenya is mainly a national government function. County governments’ mandate is to manage pre-primary education and village polytechnics. Pre-primary education is a critical component of basic education as it serves as the foundation for learners to create the right attitude towards education. Village polytechnics, which have been rebranded as County Technical Training Institutions (CTTIs) (in Makueni County) if properly structured and equipped will provide the necessary workforce to transform the country into an industrial giant. Despite education being a shared function, it is the responsibility of both the National Government and the County Government to support the current education system whilst ensuring quality and inclusivity. 6 The County Government of Makueni is committed to implementing the devolved functions in education in a manner that ensures that learners are empowered to reach their full potential and that education serves as an enabler of development. Background Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the 2030 Agenda (a universal and collective commitment on education) provides that education is a human right and a force for sustainable development and peace. The Goal aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Global statistics by UNESCO indicate that more than 262 million children and youth are out of school; six out of ten are not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy after several years in school and 750 million adults are illiterate, thus fueling poverty and marginalization. Regionally, the Africa Union through the Agenda 2063, Aspiration 1 “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development” requires that Africa make significant investments in education with the aim of developing human and social capital through an education and skills revolution with emphasis on innovation, science and technology. It urges African governments to reorient their education and training systems to meet the knowledge, competencies, skills, innovation and creativity required to nurture African core values and promote sustainable development at the national, sub-regional and continental levels. At independence, Kenya adopted the 7-4-2-3 system of education based on the British colonial education system. In 1985, the Kenya Government adopted the 8-4-4 system after the recommendations by the Mackay Commission. The 8-4-4 system emphasized on vocational subjects to enable school leavers at all levels be self-employed. In 2017 the National Ministry of Education launched the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) designed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development that emphasizes the importance of developing skills and knowledge and applying those competencies to real life situations. The inclusive nature of the 8-4-4 system brought about challenges on education financing. The government addressed this through the Kamunge Report, 1988 (adopted through Sessional Paper No.6 of 1988 on Education and Training for the next Decade and Beyond) which focused on education financing. Its key implication was the introduction of the cost- sharing system between the Government and parents/ communities in order to accelerate the expansion of education, 7 increase access to education at all levels and to ensure quality and relevance at the different levels. Despite the adoption of the Report, the financing challenges persisted and to date this is still a major setback to 100% transition rate in education. In 2003, the Kenya Government implemented the Free Primary Education (FPE) towards achievement of Universal Primary Education (UPE), and Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE) both of which brought on board 1.5 million additional school children. This was in line with the EFA Goals by 2015 of the World Education Forum, 2000 and was one of the government’s biggest step in support to education. The Kenya Vision 2030 aims at achieving globally competitive quality education, training and research. Specifically, it aims at increasing school enrolment rate; increasing transition rate to technical institutions; integrating early childhood into primary education; modernizing teacher training; strengthening partnerships with private sector and increased government funding to the education sector. Further reforms in the education sector were necessitated by the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The Taskforce on the Alignment of the Education Sector to the Constitution recommended the formulation of Session Paper No. 14 of 2012 on Reforming Education and Training. The Revision of the Education Act of 1968 resulted into the current Basic Education Act of 2013. Under the 2010 Constitution education is a shared function between the National Government and County Governments. The functions of Pre-primary Education and Daycare Centres; Village Polytechnics, and Community libraries have been devolved to county governments. Makueni County Government in its Vision 2025 has laid a lot of emphasis on the devolved functions in the education sector. The Vision provides for the following strategies; construction of Early Childhood Education centres, recruitment of instructors, equipping of the Centres and the establishment of Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions (TVET) in the County. The Makueni County CIDP 2018 -2022 further commits to enhance access to quality ECDE and Technical education through: enhanced regulatory and institutional framework; improvement of good governance and quality assurance in technical training; Strengthening Staffing Levels in 8 ECDEs and CTTIs; Increased Retention and Transition Rates and the Establishment of the Makueni Education Fund Scheme. 1.1 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS The devolved education functions are domiciled in the department of Education, Sports and ICT within the Makueni County Government. The department implements the functions in collaboration with other departments and the relevant stakeholders through the following programs:  Pre-primary Education  Technical and Vocational Training  Support to Education The Pre-primary Education Program focuses on pre-primary education and aims at holistically developing children’s social, physical, emotional and cognitive needs. This promotes a solid foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. The program is designed to compensate for the disadvantages in the family, combating educational inequalities and reduce the cost of later remedial programs. The Technical and Vocational Training Program focuses on socio economic transformation through quality skills development. The program is designed to foster youth employment and entrepreneurship; promote equity and gender equality and facilitate transition to sustainable societies. The Support to Education Program is the county government’s gateway to ensuring that its vulnerable citizens are empowered to access and retain quality education and ensure 100% transition. The program aims to motivate both learners and teachers to improve on performance and governance. 1.3.1 Pre-Primary Education Pre-Primary Education continues to receive a lot of attention in international and national policies and programs. Makueni County Vision 2025 and CIDP 2018-2022 aim at strengthening staffing levels by employing more pre-school teachers, capacity building the teachers, infrastructure development and introduction of a feeding programme in pre-primary schools. The County 9 Government initiatives have led to remarkable improvement in access to pre-primary education services across the county. This is evidenced by the increase in the number of pre-primary school centres in the county from 1,212 in 2014 to 1,452 (1,217 public and 235 private) in 2020. Enrolment in the pre-primary centres has consequently increased by 1.94 per cent from 42,806 in 2014 to 43,635 pupils who are taught by 929 county employed teachers. This translates to teacher pupil ratio of 1:47. To curb the gap, 1,048 more teachers need to be employed. The County Government has made great strides in improvement of the state of pre-primary education since 2013 through capitation. On staffing, the county has been able to employ 929 teachers and also employed 11 sub-county coordinators in order to ensure Pre-primary school Quality Assurance and Standards (QAS) in all pre-primary centers. On infrastructure development, 176 new pre-primary centers have been constructed/upgraded since 2013, 220 water tanks and 120 sets of outdoor play equipment installed to public pre-primary centers. Despite this effort, the county has a total of 1217 pre-primary centres which also require infrastructure improvement, play equipment and provision of water tanks. Over the years, the county Government has been able to provide teaching/learning materials to all pre-primary centres. The county has also been able to provide each child with a kiddy chair and a table for four. However, the ECDE capitation for financing Pre- primary school programs has not been adequate to cater for all the needs of Pre- primary school programs. Other challenges include but not limited to; inadequate learning and training infrastructure, equipping, instructional and playground equipment for ECDEs, high pupil teacher ratio, ineffective teaching methods due to capacity challenges, management challenges, rampant child abuse and neglect, insecurity and vast distances between pre-primary centres. The County has also constantly faced famine that has resulted into malnutrition, characterized by: (i) under nutrition manifested by stunting, wasting, underweight; (ii) micronutrient deficiencies; (iii) overweight and obesity including diet-related non-communicable diseases. The table below presents the key indicators in the County, according to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey, 2014. 10 No Indicator Makueni Kenya 1. Children under 5 years who are stunted (moderate/severe) % 25.1 26.1 2. Children under 5 years who are wasted (moderate/severe) % 2 4 3. Children under 5 years who are underweight % 10.2 11 4. Children who are under 5 years and who are overweight/obese % 5 4 Smooth transition from pre-primary to grade one is a major challenge due to the use of academic testing and disharmony between the two environments. There is inadequate balance of summative and formative assessment of learning outcomes at pre-primary education level. To resolve this issue, the Ministry of Education in the National Government (MOE) launched the Kenya School Readiness Assessment Tool (KSRAT) in December, 2015 to assess leaners without exposing them to a written competitive exam for smooth transition to grade one. Makueni County has since revised this assessment tool to Makueni County School Assessment Tool (MCSRAT) which aligned to the new Competence based curriculum for formative assessment in pre-school centres in the county. There are inadequate services for children living with disabilities. 1.3.2 Technical and Vocational Training The Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2019 provides for the education and training of technical personnel and their progression from every level of skills and technical knowledge to the next. It envisions that technicians will mainly be produced from the technical training colleges. Further, the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) under implementation provides for exposure to pre- vocational skills to young people in primary and secondary schools providing for early identification of career paths in the learners. It is worthy to note that some specialized vocational training programmes in Kenya are scattered in various ministries and fall under the supervision of the respective sector ministries, for instance, Ministry of Water (KEWI), Ministry of Energy (KPLC) and Ministry of transport (Kenya Railways). Currently, technical and vocational training in Kenya is offered by both government and private providers on either profit or non-profit basis. Most of the private institutions are either Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO) or Church-based with a smaller number being owned by individuals. From 2013 to 2020, the County Government of Makueni has grown its Technical Training Institutes (CTTIs) from twenty-eight (28) to fifty-four (54). In an effort to mainstream disability in technical training, the county has also established a vocational training centre for persons with disability. These institutions are categorized broadly as Centres of Excellence (1), 11 Model Centres (6) one per Sub County and Ward CTTIs in varied developmental stages and the enrolment growth is as shown below. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T M F T 863 1450 3313 2055 1617 3672 2483 1875 4358 2399 1726 4125 2502 1686 4188 2925 226 5184 1 Annual disaggregated enrolment for CTTIs: Source Directorate of Technical training Legend: M – Male, F – Female, T - Total The disparity in growth and status emanates from a number of factors that include but not limited to age of the institution, catchment area, governance challenges, the National Government directive requiring 100% transition to secondary school and the socio-cultural environment. The community has for a long time held a negative perception that vocational training centres are for academic failures from poor families that cannot afford formal education in primary and secondary schools. The County Government has employed 166 instructors up from 127 in 2013 bringing the instructor-trainee ratio to 1: 31 against the recommended ratio of 1:15. This is a major cause for low quality training and limited unattractive courses. Consequently, many institutions incur costs in employing additional tutors to fill the gaps making technical training expensive. Other than the high cost of training, access and retention is equally affected by poverty related challenges, early pregnancies and early marriages as well as false confidence after acquisition of rudimentary skills in the first year of training. Currently, skills training in the county is supply-driven instead of the desired market-end making it impossible to match market needs. The factors above have negatively affected growth of the sector resulting to serious skill gaps in the market. This policy therefore endeavours to promote social economic transformation in the county through technical skills development, enhanced employability and self-reliance amongst the youth. 12 1.3.3 Support to Education Education financing in Kenya is undertaken through a cost sharing framework between the National Government and the student. The government finances education through: i. Capitation which mainly targets tuition and minor administrative costs and does not cover all the costs that go into enrolment and sustenance of students in the institutions. ii. The Constituency Development Fund also caters for infrastructure development in educational institutions and offers bursaries too. Considering the county’s poverty levels of 34.8 per cent (KNBS 2019) and income inadequacies, majority of the students are unable to meet the cost of training, uniform, accommodation among others. iii. The Higher Education Loans Board does offer education financing in the form of loans but unfortunately does not cater for county TTIs. The above initiatives have improved the quality and access of education in Kenya but there still exist challenges which require policy and legislative interventions. In the context of devolved governance, the 2010 Constitution requires the National Government and County Governments to work together through cooperation and consultation. The challenge of adequate support to education requires both arms of government to complement each other for effective and sustainable solutions. The Makueni County Government in recognition of the education financing challenges developed the Makueni County Bursary Fund Regulations, 2015 (amended in 2018) to offer student education support through bursaries to the most vulnerable and needy students to transition through secondary and post-secondary education. The number of requests for financial support in education keep increasing each year while the available resources remain constrained. The graph below represents the number of scholarships awarded to students by the county government over the last seven years. 13 Allocation of Scholarships 100 94 93 90 78 80 70 2013/14 60 2014/15 50 46 2015/16 40 2016/17 30 2017/1822 20 15 15 2018/19 10 2019/20 0 Number of Scholarships Financial Years The two graphs below represent the number of bursary beneficiaries in secondary and university over the last five years. SECONDARY SCHOOL BURSARIES 4000 3618 3500 3171 3288 2963 3000 2500 2218 2000 1821 1500 1180 1026 1000 353 408500 0 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 FINANCIAL YEAR MALE FEMALE 14 TOTAL NUMBER AWARDED Total Number Awarded UNIVERSITY BURSARIES 1400 1232 1200 1000 930 846 867 800 720 646 600 420 400 300 164 200 117 0 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 FINANCIAL YEAR MALE FEMALE The Government of Makueni County has further collaborated with stakeholders in the sector including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Teachers Service Commission, institutions of higher learning, faith based organizations, NGOs among others towards enhancing education service delivery with emphasis on quality assurance, registration of schools, student mentorship programmes and strengthening institutional capacities leading to the following outcomes: i. Capacity building of the leadership of schools under the auspices of KEPSHA and KESSHA towards improving school’s performance. Through annual forums and conferences, twelve conferences have been held between 2014 and 2019 reaching 120,000 members annually. ii. Support to chaplaincy as part of strengthening spirituality, guidance and counselling and as a result, 700 teachers have been trained thus far (from 2017 to 2019). iii. Nurturing the performance and leadership of students and through a partnership for girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) from 2018 to 2019 whereby 2,000 girls have been mentored so far. iv. Initiation of the establishment of the Makueni School of Development Studies in collaboration with the Department of Devolution, Participatory Development, County Administration, Public Service & Youth. 15 TOTAL NUMBER AWARDED Challenges The education sector in Makueni County Government has grown since devolution and major strides have been made with great achievements. However, the sector faces challenges that have hindered the effective implementation of pre-primary education, vocational and technical training and support to education programs. 1.4.1 Challenges in Pre-primary Education 1.4.1.1 Inadequate resources i. Financial resources – Financing of pre-primary education is done through capitation. Currently, the capitation rate is not fixed and depends on fluctuating budget allocations and hence the sector is unable to plan and effectively deliver on its services. ii. Human resources –The teacher pupil ratio stands at 1:47 while the recommended ratio is 1:25. Currently, the county has 929 pre-primary teachers, there is a shortage of 1505 teachers to reach the recommended ratio. The teachers also require continuous capacity building on the new education system (CBC). iii. Physical infrastructure – Since 2013, the County Government has constructed 176 new pre-primary centres while the required number to meet the needs of the county stands at 1217 centres. Some of the centres are in poor state thus affecting the quality of education and the safety of the pupils. 1.4.1.2 Access, Quality and relevance Challenges affecting access, quality and relevance of pre-primary education include inadequate teaching/learning materials, inadequate supervision, inadequate ICT infrastructure, and inadequate specialized assistive devises for children with disability, non-child friendly environments and psychosocial support which in most cases may not be available and hinder participation in learning. 16 1.4.1.3 Social and Health issues a. Health and Nutrition Health factors make pupils miss school on many occasions therefore affecting quality of education. There is inadequate integration of health and nutrition services in pre-primary and childcare programs sometimes leading to health and nutritional disorders and poor feeding practices. In addition, hunger and malnutrition lead to stunting, wasting and underweight and all affect learner attendance negatively. b. Repetition of Classes/Transition The Basic Education Act provides for unconditional 100% transition to primary school. However, some learners do not transit because some institutions contrary to the provisions of the law, administer written examination as a pre-requisite for transition. Additionally, the enforcement mechanisms under the Act and as well as sanctions for non-adherence are not clear. c. Learner safety and security, child abuse, neglect and exploitation Occasionally, there are reports of learners who undergo child abuse which unfortunately affects their mental health. Family and household poverty predispose children to violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation hence minimizing their chances of participating in pre- primary education. Other social factors such as wildlife, unsecured schools and unsafe classrooms affect the quality of education. 1.4.2 Challenges in Technical and Vocational Training 1.4.2.1 Inadequate resources: i. Financial resources – Currently the program relies only on funding from the County Government which is insufficient due to competing needs and priorities. The Institutions are also unable to come up with income generating activities due to financial incapacitation. 17 ii. Human resource – The student instructor ratio is not ideal and this affects the quality of training. There are also courses that are not offered due to absence of, or insufficient number of qualified instructors. iii. Physical infrastructure – Workshops and other vital physical amenities in the institutions are not enough and lack adequate equipment and appropriate tools. iv. Land resource – land size for many institutions is not adequate to carry out physical development. Additionally, land ownership wrangles have been quite prominent especially in areas where land was donated by local communities or other institutions. 1.4.2.2 Negative perception towards technical and vocational training There is a general negative perception that technical and vocational training is inferior education of low status and diminishing returns. It is viewed as a last result after failing to transition through the mainstream education system. This has further affected the quality of support from both community and development partners that CTTIs are supposed to get in order to spur development and growth. 1.4.2.3 High cost of training Due to the practical nature of skills training, trainees are required to have training materials which are expendable. Personal tools and equipment used are equally expensive and most learners cannot afford them. They are also required to wear uniforms which are an additional cost. Currently, CTTI trainees are not eligible to benefit from the mainstream education support programs like HELB. It has also been noted that most learners quit immediately they acquire basic skills as opposed to going through the full learning cycle because they don’t associate the final certificate with more returns. 1.4.2.4 Training mismatch with market demands The current technical and vocational training curriculum has not evolved over time and is not responsive to market needs. Many graduates end up retraining on the job making it expensive and time consuming. The curriculum does not support innovation, creativity and uptake of information technology 18 1.4.3 Challenges in support to education 1.4.3.1 Inadequate Resources The programs solely depend on government allocation where competing needs are ever increasing against scarce financial resources. The annual budgetary allocation has been declining while more and more requests for support continue to flood the county. These requests range from school fees, institutional capacity strengthening and student mentorship. 1.4.3.2 Inadequate legal and regulatory framework Nationally, we do not have a bursary and scholarship regulatory framework that covers education financing in lower levels of education like secondary schools yet lack of student school fees remains a perennial issue. The Makueni County Government developed Bursary Fund Regulations for student financing but it does not cover scholarships and other student support programs. 1.4.3.3 Weak Institutional Linkages The education sector upon devolution is a co-shared function between the county governments and the national government. This requires creation of strong institutional linkages for better coordination, performance improvement and joint project implementation. This cooperation has been weak and hence posing challenges of engagement and coordination. Strong and well managed institutions last for posterity and enhance performance as well. The County Government is mandated to work with preschool education while the primary and secondary is a mandate of the National Government while the County Government reenters the education and training of the learner at the youth training in TVET thus creating an average of 8- 12 years lapse. To address this gap effectively, continuous engagement and interactions is absolutely necessary. 19 POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK 1.3.2 International Frameworks 1.3.2.1 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) Goal 1- Which targets by 2030 to end hunger and ensure access by all people in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe nutritious and sufficient food all year round. Goal 4 - Which targets that by 2030: i. All boys and girls will have access to quality early childhood education development, care and preprimary education so that they are ready for primary education; ii. There will be equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university; iii. There will be a substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. 1.3.2.2 Dakar Framework for Education for All (EFA) (2000 World Education Forum) This calls for: “Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.” 1.3.2.3 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) This provides the international basis for children’s educational, developmental, health, nutritional, and protective rights. To expand on the CRC’s mandates, comment 7 on the CRC, entitled, “Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood,” provides detailed guidance for meeting CRC goals for children from birth to age eight (United Nations: 2006). 1.3.2.4 African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, 1999. This Charter reaffirms the rights and welfare of the African child, with a special emphasis on: parents’ rights and roles; child rearing and child development; child care services for working parents; clothing, housing, and services for health, nutrition, breastfeeding, hygiene, environmental sanitation, child protection and safety. 20 1.3.3 Constitution of Kenya 2010 The Constitution provides that education and training in Kenya is a shared function between the National Government and the County Governments. The following have been devolved to county governments under the education function: i. Pre-primary education ii. Village polytechnics (CTTIs) Further, the Constitution provides as follows: Article 43 (1) - Every person has the right to education; Article 53 - Every child has the right to free and compulsory basic education; Article 54(1)- A person with any disability is entitled to access educational institutions and facilities for persons with disabilities that are integrated into society to the extent compatible with the interests of the person; Article 55(a) - The state shall take measures, including affirmative action programs, to ensure that the youth access relevant education and training and Article 56 (b)- The State shall put in place affirmative action programs designed to ensure that minorities and marginalized groups are provided special opportunities in educational and economic fields. 1.3.4 Other National Government Legislation i. Children’s Act 2001 ii. Basic Education Act 2013 iii. Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Act 2012 iv. County Governments Act 2012 1.3.5 Policy Framework i. National Pre-primary Education Policy 2017 ii. Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2019 on Reforming Education, Training and Research for Sustainable Training 21 1.3.6 Makueni County Policy and Legislative Framework i. Makueni County Vision 2025 ii. Makueni County Integrated Development Plan 2018 – 2022 iii. Makueni County Education, Sports & ICT Strategic Plan 2019 – 2023 iv. Makueni County Technical & Vocational Skills Training Act, 2016 v. Makueni County Bursary Fund Regulations 2015 (Amended 2018) 22 CHAPTER TWO: POLICY SCOPE, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES 2.1 Scope The overall policy goal is to provide an appropriate framework that will promote the realization of the right to education on the part of learners. Accordingly, the Policy recognizes the large number, strategic importance and immense potential of learners with respect to the county’s development initiatives. However, it notes that there is still plenty of initiatives that ought to be accomplished the County Government of Makueni with respect to the implementation of its mandate education at the county level. The policy therefore advocates for mobilization of resources to promote quality and sustainable education at the county level for the greater benefit of learners and also growth of the county. 2.2 Policy Objectives The main objective of this policy is to ensure sustainable quality education in Makueni County with the intention of improving the standards of living and the quality of life for its learners. The specific objectives are as follows: 2.3 Pre-primary Education Objective 1 To enhance resource mobilization for delivery of quality and integrated pre-primary education services and programs. Strategies a) Enhance budgetary allocation to finance pre-primary education programs and services. b) Develop guidelines on capitation. c) Engage partnerships to support resource mobilization. Objective 2 To enhance access to quality and relevant pre-primary education services. 23 Strategies a) Build the capacity of pre-primary education staff on curriculum implementation and supervision. b) Promote child rights and welfare in the context of learning. c) Mobilize the community to ensure that all eligible pre-primary pupils are in school. d) Establish programs that strengthen learner retention and transition i.e. pre-primary feeding program, community sensitization on nutritional needs of the children inter alia. e) Sensitize the community and other stakeholders in the education sector on relevant laws on pre-primary education. f) Establish mechanisms for early identification and interventions for children with special needs. Objective 3 To strengthen institutional frameworks for effective leadership and management of pre- primary education programs. Strategies a) Establish parents associations for pre primary and sentize them on management. b) Strengthen linkages between the county government, Ministry of education and non-state actors. 2.4 Technical and Vocational Training Objective 1 To provide relevant skills for industrial and socio-economic development Strategies a) Adopt competency-based training to enable graduates acquire skills, knowledge and right attitudes to perform jobs to the required standard. b) Establish specialization in training institutions. c) Revamp apprenticeship system to allow trainees to train on the job. d) Promote entrepreneurship in training centres to realize self-reliance. e) Promote digitization in training and management. f) Establish partnerships with stakeholders. 24 Objective 2 To enhance equity and access to quality technical and vocational training Strategies a) Ensure equitable distribution of training centres b) Adopt electronic technologies, e-learning and distance education programs. c) Incentivize skills training across courses to eliminate stereotypes. d) Integrate informal economy workers in training and certification. e) Promote career guidance and course placement to support trainees in career planning and selection as well as entrenching industrial attachment. f) Promote positive community perception on vocational skills training. Objective 3 To assure Quality and Standards in skills training Strategies a) Collaborate with TVETA to ensure standardized quality assurance parameters and practices b) Establish minimum staff qualifications. c) Promote continuous career development. d) Establish a County Quality Assurance and Standards unit. Objective 4 To revitalize technical and vocational training Institutional Framework Strategies a) Categorization of County technical training and certification levels: as a process of re- branding and provision of effective pathways for CTTI graduates, institutions shall be categorized into three major areas, namely Centre of Excellence to offer Artisan and Diploma Certificates; County Model CTTI to offer Artisan and Craft Certificates and Ward CTTI to award Artisan certificates b) Develop business incubation programs c) Reform institutional management structures to incorporate Trainee Councils in the management. 25 Objective 5 To enhance financing of County Technical Training Strategies a) Strength partnerships with education stakeholders and development partners. b) Establish County Education Fund for resource mobilization; c) Adopt business models for CTTIs d) Promote CTTI from Service providers to Production Centers. Objective 6 To rebrand technical and vocational training in the county. Strategies a) Improve with infrastructure appropriate equipment. b) Promote innovation and creativity. c) Initiate talent identification and development programs. d) Invest in research and development. 2.4 Support to Education Objective 1 To strengthen the legal and regulatory framework Strategies a) Review and emasculate the legal framework relating to support to education at county level. b) Implement and enforce laws that mainstream education support and coordination of education empowerment. c) Lobby the national government to develop national bursaries and scholarship financial support framework. Objective 2 To create a strong institutional linkage with other educational players 26 Strategies a) Derive partnerships and working relationships with national government and education stakeholder. b) In collaboration with the ministry of education, TSC and KEPSHA, KESSHA establish strategies for coordinated education support programme implementation. c) Develop programmes to enhance capacity building for students. d) Strengthen institutional capacity for the managers. Policy Objective 3 To establish a sustainable resource mechanism Strategies a) Develop guidelines to ensure equality and equity in accessing of the funds by students. b) Establish an education resource mobilization framework through an Education fund scheme. 27 CHAPTER THREE: ACTORS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES 3.1 Pre-primary Education Actor Responsible Responsibility The County Government a) Establish a sustainable funding mechanism; b) Recruit and capacity build staff. c) Initiate nutritional, safety and care sensitization programs on matters pre-primary Education. d) Conduct needs assessment on pre- primary education, supervise, Monitor and evaluate implementation of programs and services in pre- primary education. e) Child protection services e.g. child rescue. f) Identification and placement of children with special needs including those with medical conditions in children's homes The National Government a) Collaboration in Curriculum development and implementation. b) Develop and implement curriculum for training pre-school teachers c) Ensure adherence to quality and standards in education and training Development partners a) Resource mobilization for education and training programs b) Provision of technical support Parents a) Provide basic needs and take children to pre-primary centres b) Provide safe play materials that stimulate all senses and a conducive environment for play c) Take children to Educational assessment centres and hospitals for identification of special needs in Education d) Form parents association committees to oversee management of pre-primary Education Non-State Actors a) Sensitize stakeholders on Child protection services and rights of children, b) Support provision of infrastructure and learning materials for Pre-primary schools as well nutritional programs c) Carry out Chaplaincy activities in pre-primary schools d) Provide financial and technical support 28 Technical and Vocational Training ACTOR ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES County a) Provide strategic leadership in the implementation of the policy. Government (CG) b) Monitor and evaluate implementation of vocational training curriculum; c) Undertake Quality Assurance and Standards on curriculum implementation. d) Implement Quality Assurance and Standards recommendations in (c) above; e) Develop internship and industrial attachment plans for trainers and trainees and budget for the programs; f) Facilitate assessment, registration and accreditation of county training institutes, managers and trainers with all relevant and national and county institutions; g) Put in the public domain information on vocational skills training and development opportunities; h) initiate and strengthen partnership with development partners and other stakeholders in order to enhance skills training; i) Develop and employ a feedback, control and reporting mechanism for all CTTI programs and projects; j) Manage all human resource issues regarding Vocational skills training and development staff; k) Collaborate with the department in charge of CTTI in placement of trainers and trainees on industrial attachment; l) Coordinate, manage and supervise trainers and trainees on industrial attachment; m) Facilitate automation of services. National In collaboration with the County Government; Government (NG) a) Accredit technical and vocational training personnel; b) Prescribe the minimum criteria for admission c) Collect, examine and publish information relating to training; d) Inspect, license, register and accredit training institutions; e) Advise on the development of schemes of service for trainers; f) Conduct quality assurance and standards and share reports; g) Liaise with the county government on matters relating to training; h) Undertake, or cause to be undertaken, regular monitoring, evaluation and inspection of training institutions to ensure compliance with set standards and guidelines; i) Administer government trade tests and award certificates; j) Promote standards for vocational education and training Board of Governors a) Implement this policy at the institution level (BoG) b) Promote the best interests of the institution and ensure its development; 29 c) Promote quality education and training in accordance with the standards set under the TVET Act, 2013 or any other written law; d) Ensure and assure the provision of proper and adequate physical facilities for the institution; e) Ensure occupational safety and health in training centre; f) Advise the department on the staffing needs of the institution; g) Prepare a comprehensive termly report on all areas of its mandate and submit the report to the department; h) Facilitate and ensure the provision of guidance and counselling to trainers and trainees; i) Administer and manage the resources of the institution; j) Receive, collect and account for any funds accruing to the institution; k) Recruit, employ and remunerate such number of teaching and non- teaching staff as may be required by the institution in accordance with TVET Act, 2013 or any other written law; and, l) Perform any other function to facilitate the implementation of its functions under TVET Act, 2013 or any other written law Parents a) Support the implementation of this policy b) Assist in resource mobilization c) Volunteer services and other forms of support to the institution d) Pay training levies e) Carry out awareness/sensitization programs Trainees a) Participate in formation of trainee council b) Offer to undergo training, talent development and career development c) Promote in the community the training program Development a) Support in the implementation of this policy Partners (NGOs, b) Implement fully/partially development Projects and/or programs CSOs, CBOs, c) Share, through training or mentorship, technical skills and expertise; FBOs, among d) Provide financial, material and social support; others) Support to Education ACTOR ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES The County a) Lead in implementation of this policy Government b) Provide the necessary framework c) Create a mechanism and opportunities for involvement of other benevolent actors able to support and take in more beneficiaries. National Government a) Cooperation and collaborations for joint project implementation b) Harmonization of efforts in student financing (Bursaries) – secondary levels Non state Actors This policy will promote collaborations with private sector actors in offering education support as part of their CSR. These include banks, NGO’s and Business Organizations which offer financial support to students through scholarships and bursaries. 30 CHAPTER FOUR: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION, RESOURCE MOBILIZATION, MONITORING & EVALUATION AND REVIEW MECHANISM 4.1 Policy Implementation Matrix 4.1.1 Pre-primary Education Policy Objectives Strategies Activities Indicators Actors Objective 1: a) Enhance budgetary 1) Lobby for higher  Enhanced CECM/CO To enhance allocation to budget allocation resources , Director resource finance pre- 2) Document  Adequate Education mobilization primary education guidelines on physical for delivery programs and capitation infrastructure County of quality and services 3) Recruitment of  Adequate Assembly integrated b) Develop guidelines more teachers human pre-primary on capitation 4) Infrastructure resource education c) Engage Development services and partnerships to programs support resource mobilization Objective 2: a) Build capacity to  Carry out capacity  Assessment CECM/CO To enhance access to pre-primary building of staff records for , Director quality and relevant education staff on  Carry out both teachers Education pre-primary curriculum sensitization and and learners education services implementation awareness to  Number of County and supervision. stakeholders on learners Assembly b) Promote child rights matters and relevant  Gross and welfare. laws pertaining to Enrolment c) Mobilize the pre-primary Rate (GER) community to education.  Net Enrolment ensure all the  Initiate a Rate (NER) eligible pre-primary sustainable feeding  Number of pupils are in school. programme children with d) Establish programs  Carry out programs SNE identified that strengthen on psychosocial enrolled and learner retention support as well as appropriately and transition i.e. assessment placed pre-primary feeding programs for  Improved program learners and parents health of e) Sensitize the of children with children- community and special needs. correct size for other stakeholders  Strengthen age in the education classroom support  Reduced sector on relevant and supervision nutritional laws on pre-primary systems; challenges education.  Ensure seamless  Reduced transition of absenteeism 31 f) Establish learners from pre- 100% mechanisms for primary to Grade 1; transition early identification  Reduced cases and interventions of child abuse for children with and neglect special needs. Objective 3: a) Establish parents  Develop programs  Improved CECM/CO To strengthen associations for and guidelines on management , Director institutional preprimary and the requirements for  Evidence of Education frameworks for sensitize them on Parents smooth effective leadership management Associations transition County and management of b) Strengthen  Enforce legislation  Enhanced Assembly pre- primary linkages between to safeguard the collaboration education programs. the county rights of children; government,  Promote and Ministry of coordinate education and non- stakeholder state actors. participation;  Strengthen institution-based quality assurance in pre-primary education;  Develop a communication strategy on pre- primary education; 32 4.1.2 Technical Education Policy Objectives Strategies Activities Indicators Actors Objective 1 a) Adopt competency- 1. Deliver training 1. No. of CBET 1. CECM, To provide relevant based training to content certificates issued CO, skills for industrial enable graduates 2. Develop and 2. Trade Specific Director and socio-economic acquire skills, administer Centres of 2. CDACC development knowledge and right assessment tools excellence 3. Devt. Partners attitudes to perform 3. Develop guidelines established 4. BOG jobs to the required for trade 3. No. of standard. specialization Partnership b) Establish 4. Negotiate and enter MOUs signed specialization in in to MOUs with 4. No. of Business training institutions. partners Models c) Revamp 5. Coordinate trainee developed apprenticeship system placements to allow trainees to 6. Advise and provide train on the job. entrepreneurial d) Promote skills entrepreneurship in training centres to realize self-reliance e) Promote digitization in training and management f) Establish partnerships with stakeholders Objective 2 a) Ensure equitable 1. Prepare Training 1. Training Centres’ 1. CECM, CO, To enhance equity distribution of Centres status status report Director and access to quality training centres report 2. Enrolment reports 2. CDACC technical and b) Adopt electronic 2. Approve e-learning 3. Promotion 3. Community vocational training technologies, e- and distance meetings held learning and distance education programs education programs. 3. Conduct assessment c) Incentivize skills and certification of training across industry players courses to eliminate 4. Monitoring and stereotypes. Evaluation d) Integrate informal 5. Carry out economy workers in community training and promotional certification. meetings e) Promote career 6. Develop incentive guidance and course framework placement f) Promote positive community perception on vocational skills training. Objective 3 a) Collaborate with 1. Plan and carry out 1. No. Standard 1. CECM, CO, TVETA to ensure internal training quality assurance Director standardized quality programs tools developed 2. CPSB 33 To Assure Quality assurance parameters 2. Carry out training 2. QAS reports 3. HR and Standards in and practices Needs Assessment 3. Training Needs 4. TVETA skills training b) Establish minimum 3. Recruit/appoint Assessment staff qualifications quality assurance report c) Promote continuous officers 4. QAS Unit career development. 4. Approve training established d) Establish a County programs for Quality Assurance trainers and Standards unit. 5. Prepare QAS reports Objective 4 a) Categorize County 1. Develop 1. Categorization 1. CECM, CO, To Revitalize technical training categorization framework Director technical and centres and framework developed 2. Dept. of Trade vocational training certification levels. 2. Construct and 2. No. of Established 3. Community Institutional b) Develop business equip incubation Business 4. Trainees Framework incubation program centres Incubation c) Establish trainee 3. Develop guidelines programs management for trainee councils 3. Trainee framework management framework established Objective 5 a) Strengthen 1. Negotiate and sign 1. Partnership 1. CECM, CO, To enhance partnerships with MOUs with framework Director financing of County education development established 2. Devt. Partners Technical and stakeholders and partners 2. No. of Business 3. Dept. of Trade Vocational Training development partners 2. Approve business models 4. Community b) Develop business models for developed models for technical training centres 3. No. of production and vocational 3. Develop quality centres training standards for established c) Promote CTTIs from products and Service providers to services Production Centres Objective 6 a) Improve with 1. Finance and 4. Standard designs 1. CECM, CO, To re-brand infrastructure supervise projects and calibrations Director technical and appropriate 2. Finance research 5. Research and 2. Community vocational training equipment. and innovation talent programs 3. Development in the county b) Promote innovation 3. Identify, profile undertaken Partners and creativity. and undertake 6. Talent c) Initiate talent training for talent development identification and development report development programs. d) Invest in research and development. 34 4.1.3 Support to Education Policy Objectives Strategies Activities Indicators Actors Objective 1:  Review the existing legal framework Develop the draft The Makueni CECM/CO To strengthen the relating to support to education. Law and County Education, legal and regulatory  Implement and enforce laws that guidelines Support to Sports & ICT, framework mainstream education support and Present them to Education law Director . coordination of education the cabinet Support to County empowerment Present to education Assembly  Appeal to the national government assembly guidelines Ministry of to develop national bursaries and Assent Education scholarship financial support TSC framework KESSHA KEPSHA Objective 2:  Derive partnerships and working Draw a roadmap Signed MoU’s CECM/CO To create a strong relationships with national for partnerships Cooperation Education, institutional linkage government and education KESSHA and agreements Sports & ICT, with other stakeholders KEPSHA County educational players  Develop programmes to enhance conferences Assembly capacity building for students Chaplaincy YASA  Strengthen institutional capacity for Activities MoEST the managers TSC STEM Activities KESSHA KEPSHA Objective 3:  Develop guidelines to ensure  Develop  Enhanced CECM/CO To establish a equality and equity in accessing of procedure funding Education, sustainable resource the funds by students. guidelines  Resource Sports & ICT, mechanism  Establish an education resource Develop mobilizatio County mobilization framework through an application n Assembly Education fund scheme. forms framework Banks  MoUs Non state actors 4.2 Monitoring and Evaluation Consistent and systematic monitoring, evaluation and learning is critical for the realization of the objectives of this policy. Monitoring will provide the department and sector with regular feedback on progress of policy implementation while evaluation will determine whether the set goals are being achieved or not. It provides lessons learnt and recommendations for future improvements. The department will strengthen M&E system by building capacity of the staff in M&E, establishing a sustained M&E cycle, strengthening integrated reporting mechanisms and utilization of monitoring information and evaluation findings in decision making. Implementation of this policy will be monitored against the strategies, performance targets, and timelines defined in the implementation matrix and monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports 35 prepared in a prescribed format. Further, a result-based evaluation framework to measure outcome and impact indicators will be adopted from the county M&E directorate. For enhanced knowledge management and learning, the department will maintain a repository of statistics, findings and performance monitoring and evaluation reports relevant to this policy. 5. Resource Mobilization The successful implementation of this Policy will depend on the availability of sufficient financial, human and infrastructural resources. In order to demonstrate commitment to implementing the Constitution, relevant laws and the policy, the county government shall integrate resource mobilization strategies budgetary processes and resources towards the realization of this Policy. 6. Operationalization The County Government will put in place the necessary laws and regulations to operationalize this policy. 7. Policy Review This policy shall be reviewed from time to time to ensure that it remains relevant to changing demands in the county education sector. The review shall incorporate emerging issues and trends. 36