Post by job on Jan 12, 2007 21:19:38 GMT 3
Inequality in education.
Policy reforms in education geared at ensuring no Kenyan child is left behind are badly needed, policies that keep our children's education away from political gamesmanship.
At the moment, girls, poor children, rural children, and children from three notable regions: North Eastern, Nyanza and Coast Provinces; are being left behind through education policies tilted with glaring inequality gaps.
The issue of inequality is such a big social issue affecting many sectors, not just education, thus it's sometimes better to tackle under comprehensive constitutional reforms, another tricky feat altogether.
Inequality evokes passions and sometimes stirs controversy, but Kenyans need to frankly and honestly confront it to ensure future national unity and stability.
The recently announced KCPE results may serve to negatively indict certain genders, economic-classes, and ethno-geographic regions in the eyes of the gullible, but a closer look reveals that the results were merely a showcase of how equity is lacking in the distribution of education.
Beth Mugo knows this but chooses to target the gullible for further mischief, in her partisan political misadventures.
The lady who heads our basic education docket at the Ministry, recently opted to laugh at failing children from Nyanza blaming the vocal nature of Nyanza politicians for the failure...but oops,...she forgot to explain why children from North Eastern and Coast provinces whose politicians are largely supportive of the government failed. She failed to say why girls faired poorly,.... why public schools couldn't match private academies, and why rural schools couldn't match urban schools.
In terms of education, data from the Ministry of Education's Statistics division ( also published in the report "Pulling Apart: Facts and Figures on Inequality in Kenya" 2004, by the Society for International Development ) reveals BLATANT INEQUALITY with respect to : school access, teacher staffing, infrastructure/ equipment support and in-service training of teachers.
Regional inequalities.
In terms of teacher deployment, measured through TEACHER:PUPIL ratio the (2004) data shows that CENTRAL, EASTERN, and RIFT VALLEY provinces are favoured while the least favoured provinces are NYANZA, NEP and COAST respectively.
In district terms, the best staffed schools (as of 2004) are found in 1. BARINGO ( teacher: pupil ratio 1:21) 2. NITHI ( 1:23), 3. KOIBATEK (1:23.9) 4. MERU CENTRAL (1:25.4) 5. NYERI (1:25.7).........other well staffed schools are found in KEIYO, MURANGA, KIRINYAGA, UASIN-GISHU, KIAMBU, & ALL MUNICIPALITIES.
While the worst staffed are 1. KISUMU ****(ratio of 1:83)***** 2. MALINDI (1:54) 3. MOYALE (1:49.6) 4. BUTERE-MUMIAS ( 1: 49) 5. SIAYA (1:48.5)...other poorly staffed schools found in WAJIR, KWALE, KILIFI, HOMABAY, GUCHA, GARISSA, NYANDO, NYAMIRA, KURIA, &BUSIA.
LETS CORRELATE THAT WITH THE RECENT KCPE RESULTS. The top performers in top 10 ranking for 2006 were;
1. ELDORET MUNICIPALITY. 2. NAIROBI. 3. THIKA MUNICIPALITY. 4. BARINGO. 5. KITALE MUNICIPALITY 6. KOIBATEK 7. MOMBASA MUNICIPALITY 8. KEIYO 9. UASIN GISHU 10. KIRINYAGA respectively.
THUS the results show a parrallel between teacher staffing and KCPE performance without doubt.
While it doesn't take a Rocket scientist to figure out what informed the POLICY of staffing Baringo district with the most number of (& best quality) teachers under Moi's reign, ...you can still see that Moi's native district still has (TODAY) the best primary school teachers in great numbers while schools in other districts have acute shortage. It is thus no accident that Baringo is a top perennial achiever in KCPE.
Such disparities must be frankly addressed UNFORTUNATELY by the Beth Mugos of the Ministry of Education who apparently seem quite determined to continue perpetrating such inequalities for political reasons. Children must be kept out of partisan politics.
The same story applies for school access and development data. It has been shown that PUPIL ENROLMENT into govt. supported schools increases tremendously compared to enrolment for schools receiving no support.( government support for infrastructure, physical construction and equipment provision).....The best schools in terms of govt. support and consequently enrolment are found in: NAIROBI, the other municipalities, CENTRAL and RIFT VALLEY.
It is thus no coincidence that data shows, in district terms, that leading primary school enrolments are recorded in KEIYO, Mt. ELGON and MARAKWET districts.
Enrolment has also been shown to be directly related to poverty (& related factors like HIV/AIDS), thus correspondingly high enrolments are found in the rich districts of KIAMBU (Kenya's richest district), NYANDARUA, LAIKIPIA, KIRINYAGA, NYERI, UASIN-GISHU and MERU CENTRAL while low enrolments are seen in the respective poverty prone provinces of NEP, COAST and NYANZA.
The poverty index of these regions are : COAST 69.9%, NYANZA 70.9%, NEP 73.1% compared to CENTRAL PROVINCE 35.3% (AS PER 2004)
WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY NEEDED TO ACHIEVE GREATER EQUITY IN EDUCATION IS THUS a policy of AFFIRMATIVE ACTION involving increased government support for infrastructure development and quality teacher staffing of schools in POVERTY STRICKEN DISTRICTS in NEP, NYANZA and COAST.
This needs to be extended to cover other sectors as well where blatant inequality gaps also exist.
Gender inequality.
What would be wrong if the government deliberately spells out another affirmative action policy for our girl children especially those in areas traditionally known to culturally ignore girl-child education?
A start by building of say boarding primary schools for girls in selected districts can suffice for a start. ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO CLOSE IN THIS INEQUALITY GAP. The gap is glaring in NEP, NYANZA and COAST,..yet again.
Class inequality
SINCE THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO LIBERALIZE THE EDUCATION SECTOR ALLOWING FOR THE BIRTH OF PRIVATE ACADEMIES FOR CHILDREN OF RICH...it needs to develop corresponding policy to TAX such ACADEMIES who absorb the BEST government trained teachers.......(it is known that Academies compete in employing government trained KCPE examiners/teachers?
?). Such revenue collected could be used to subsidize public education for poor children as a partial measure to close glaring class gaps.Other sectors.
For instance in health, 2004 data from the same source indicate that the DOCTOR:PATIENT ratio is 1:20,700 IN CENTRAL while it is 1:120,000 IN NORTH EASTERN province. SUCH GAPS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED to achieve greater equity in Kenya.
Lastly, WOULDN'T IT BE GOOD FOR A CHANGE IF THE PRESIDENT WERE TO CONSIDER INVOLVING OTHER COMMUNITIES OF KENYA IN MANAGING OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.
All the managers are from one part of Kenya : George Kinuthia Saitoti, Beth Wambui Mugo, Kilemi Mwiria, Karega Mutahi etc etc.
Minister, both Assistant Ministers, Permanent Secretary and most of the Education Directors. What's going on? Kenyans have been complaining about this since 2003. Thanks goodness this is an election year.
unedited.
Job