The Education Stakeholders has revealed that the government will rollout Values-based Education (VbE) nationally in 2026 to strengthen character formation and ethical learning in Kenyan schools.
Speaking on Thursday during the Dissemination Forum for the VbE Pilot Report at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development(KICD), stakeholders noted that there had been positive changes in schools during the implementation of the VbE pilot.
The programme, a partnership between the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and Zizi Afrique Foundation (ZAF), has been running in both regular and Special Needs Education (SNE) schools across eight regions drawn from 19 counties nationwide.
The initiative aligns with ongoing education reforms and advances the Competency-Based Education (CBE) vision of producing empowered, engaged, and ethical citizens.
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Regional Director for Central Kenya, Elijah Omwenga, said VbE helps shape responsible, compassionate, and ethical individuals.
Omwenga, who was the guest of honour during the final day of the three-day event, said schools, families, and communities must work together to model and reinforce positive values.
Zizi Afrique Foundation Manager, ALiVE Programme, Elizabeth Owiti, said 79 schools were involved in the pilot and the results showed significant progress. She noted that children, teachers, and non-teaching staff demonstrated promising outcomes.
“Through the programme, conflicts have reduced, cases of school property damage have gone down, and we have empowered learners to take up responsibilities,” she said.
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KICD Senior Deputy Director in charge of Basic Education Curriculum Development, Dr. Jacqueline Onyango, said VbE is being introduced as a programme that supports the implementation of Chapter Six of the Constitution.
She added that learners would apply the values within the school community, allowing everyone to be part of the initiative.
The report findings indicate that teachers have successfully mainstreamed values in the classroom. Schools reported improved learner discipline, behaviour, performance, and overall school climate, and many adopted a Whole School Approach (WSA).
“We trained teachers on specific components, including materials on eight core values, as an affirmation that the programme would work,” she said.
KICD is expected to support the national roll-out of the VbE programme in 2026 by sensitising relevant stakeholders on VbE implementation through the WSA to promote consistency, shared understanding, and collective responsibility across the country.
It will also develop programmes to build teachers’ capacity to nurture and assess the acquisition of values among learners.
Additionally, KICD will develop materials to disseminate information on VbE through the WSA to facilitate effective implementation, and conduct continuous Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) to strengthen progress in learning institutions.
The institution will also undertake preparations for the roll-out of VbE through the WSA in all Basic Education learning institutions.
By Obegi Malack
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