By George Otieno
Principal Secretary in the State Department for University Education and Research Ambassador Simon Nabukwesi has stated that the government will support capacity building of technical trainers in the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) through a partnership deal between Kenya and Finland.
While addressing delegates during the International Conference on Enhancing Education in Kenya held on August 23-26, 2022, Amb. Nabukwesi added that the support will include training of trainers and creation of trainees’ exchange programs.
The Kenya and Finland partnership will also bring on board the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Authority and the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology to enhance connectivity and promote open, distance and E-Learning systems among learning institutions.
The PS stated that focus should currently be placed on the teachers’ skills so as to adequately equip them and make them more effective in what they do as they shape the destiny of the nation.
“The environment for the implementation of the new curriculum is critical for its success since most schools in the country are in very deplorable conditions such as being poorly staffed and having a high number of students population,” he said.
The PS acknowledged the fact that Finland offers the best education globally and that strengthened bilateral education cooperation is paramount.
“As an industry, we need to step up effort in a bid to learn the best practices in pedagogical expertise and increase operational effectiveness to ensure high quality education and training services at all levels,” he said.
The Kenya and Finland alliance will also support capacity building to universities through scholarship programmes for both staff and students to improve the quality of education. It will also include sabbatical leave for lecturers from both countries.
The partnership will promote the establishment of Science and Technology parks such as the one found in Dedan Kimathi University and the one coming up in Chuka University and in Konza, incubation centers within universities, Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) and other relevant government agencies.
It will also support university-industry linkages for collaboration to improve the employability of graduates through internships, attachments and other industrial experiences. Integrate ICT in learning and training to ensure continuity in learning as this would help mitigate any disruptions from interruptions caused by pandemics and industrial actions among other causes.
“We are going to partner with the Commission for University Education (CUE) and individual universities to review curriculum for implementation of the CBC and also promote joint collaboration research, innovation activities and commercialization of products,” said Amb. Nabukwesi.
To improve management at the university level, the PS said that they will establish university information management data system to improve planning projections and service delivery, to help monitor the enrolment level of students, monitor the number of teachers on leave, those about to retire, see where there are shortages and find mechanisms to resolve them and also keep track of the flow of resources from all the sources that an institution get funding.
He added that the partnership will help in the Training of trainers on leadership and management to improve institutional management and boost services delivery
He further hinted that unlike in early learning and basic education level, teachers training colleges and Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Institutions had low enrollments enabling for easier Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation.
The collaboration would support the establishment and review of data management systems to enhance monitoring and evaluation of performance, and also promote cooperation in teacher education to learn and share experiences on teacher management, training, capacity building and integration of ICT in training.
It will also help share experiences on Basic Education, improve science and technology and support curriculum review for implementation of CBC, and develop scholarship programs for vulnerable groups in slums and refugee camps and help in the evaluation of equipment for effective learning.
Amb. Nabukwesi encouraged teachers to be on the forefront in the implementation of the partnership and urged them to support the provision of learning assistive technologies for special needs trainees and support the development of incubation centers to refine and upgrade production units in Vocational and Technical Training institutes.
Dr. Carita Prokki, a Finnish educationist and the Director of Business and Global Operations in Finland, said that CBC is all about working and walking with the students hand by hand and showing their your passion and helping them cultivate theirs.
She highlighted that the partnership will bring a huge impact both in towns in Finland and back home in Kenya and that the continued remarkable corporation between the two nations will go on.
She added that Finland has been previously engaged in such partnerships with other numerous countries in the effort to better education around the globe and that Finland will not only assist with training of teachers and training of trainers, but it will also follow up, and be part of the changes and take action to help in the practical aspect of the competency based education.
