Multigrade teaching and learning in pro-poor private Schools; Nyeri County challenges and policy implications for pastoralists-Based Schools

Abstract

Attainment of universal primary education envisaged within Dakar framework is becoming elusive in many countries. Data shows that out - of - school children have stagnated at 57 million by 2011 (GMR, 2013/14). Global Monitoring Report (2012) noted that some countries in sub - Saharan Africa have achieved noticeable achievements in levelling education for all targets. However, some countries are still lagging behind on NER and GER. S ome countries have a net enrolment of less than 70% while others have NER of above 90%. This means that 30% of school - going children are uncounted for. In many cases, the net enrolment ratio is lower than the gross enrolment ratio. In Kenya, the GER has grown to 113% by 2012, currently estimated at 9.3 million. Despite the progress made in primary school enrolments, over 1 million children still remain out of school (GMR 2013/4 despite the free primary education policy of 2 003 . As 2015 deadline for EFA approaches, it is important for countries to re - think on what can work, what did not work and what worked. It is important to consider how to reengineer the momentum and think strategically and innovatively. One way of thinki ng ahead the 2015 target year would be to critically assess innovative ways of, and engage in multi - mode approach of teaching and learning in regions where learner population is low and where the teacher shortages has persisted. This approach has been us ed by private schools for the poor mainly as a reaction towards lack of teachers or lack of enough pupils to warrant employment of many teachers. Since Kenya does not have a policy on multigrade, there is need to have policy considerations to address the m ultigrade policy for inclusion in the education sector policy frameworks. This will go a long way in addressing the needs of excluded marginalized children especially in pastoralists’ communities. Demand for education among pastoralists, including children and adults actively involved in pastoral production, is rapidly increasing. Education is seen by impoverished households as a way out of poverty, and by the households actively involved in this production as a way to support their production system in an increasingly globalized world. Pastoralists no longer resist the idea of formal education, as they commonly did fifteen or twenty years ago. Children and adults now fully understand the importance of education and are enthusiastic about learning. Despite P olicy documentation and budgetary allocations, there is documented regional disparities in access and participation that hide underneath national achievements over time. The disparities if not addressed can perpetuate intergenerational inequalities. This paper describes how multi - grade approach has been used in pro - poor private schools, the challenges, policy implications and lessons learnt for replication in pastoralists’ communities