And why wouldn't it? It hurts most other things it touches.
From allafrica.com:
Free schooling has compromised the quality of education in primary schools, a new study says.Although the programme, introduced in January last year, has increased enrolment, the quality of teaching and learning has declined due to inadequate facilities.
According to an unpublished study by ActionAid (Kenya), many parents and teachers have complained about a serious decline in tuition due to class overcrowding and a lopsided teacher-pupil ratio.
The study, which sought to assess the impact of the free primary education on selected pastoralist communities, attributes the problems to the fact that it was hurriedly introduced to fulfil a pre-election pledge by Narc.
Funny how you always seem to end up getting what you pay for.
Hon. Prof. Saitoti, Minister of Education in Kenya came to the Harvard Graduate School of Education last spring to "float" his "Education for All" program.
He NEVER mentioned teachers in his one hour presentation (only to mention in passing that teachers were dying from HIV/AIDS). When I questioned him on the issue, his response was "We do not have a shortage of teachers. In fact, we have an 'overflow'."
What RUBBISH. I almost asked him why his administration was not able to amicably discuss grievances with the KNUT (Kenya National Union of Teachers) but I was not confident I would get an answer.
I agree that Politics is REALLY hurting primary education in Kenya.
What percentage of Kenyans attend these schools? Would they benefit from distance learning degrees or Online programs. Is it the distance that keeps them out or something else.
politics is hurting education in kenya. what a naive comment. of course politics is hurting education. this is like saying :the sun will rise tomorrow". what is most important is to try to take the situation as it is and to then rise above it. right now there are shortages of everything from books to teachers to chairs for students. but the real problem that should be addressed now while the schools are in their infancy of universal education is their aim. will there job be to teach liberal arts so that kenya, in ten to twelve years has a few 100,000 young men and women fit for nothing but protesting like europeans or else fit for little but government jobs.
the time is now to set a solid curriculim: math, science, computers, agriculture. these are the skills that will make kenya a strong nation.
forget the overcrowding. forget that the job is hard. just get to work, is you teach---teach. if you have children---make them learn. if you have nephews or nieces---make them learn.
do not take hte example of the west from today, do not look to your government to fix your problems. look to the west as she was, how she got to where she is today.
that is how kenya will have a future.
I'm doin a project for school on Education in Kenya and I found what you were saying very interesting. I haven't found enough info in my studies to give a verdict but I'm sure my peers will be very interested.
