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Post by Onyango Oloo on Mar 3, 2007 18:16:41 GMT 3
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Post by politicalmaniac on Mar 4, 2007 0:56:26 GMT 3
OO
The Kenyan system has several draw backs like underfunding, inflexible and rigid curricula, and empahasis misplaces of test scores. But these problems are also pervasive globally.
A sound education system can only be obtained in a prosperous, peacefull, well to do economic environment, which then creates demands for specific highly trained individuals for various tasks. This demand then becomes the fuel that drives academic excellence and innovation.
I dont see how the education system can thrive, grow and innovate in the current corrupt, tribalistic environment. Funds that can be channelled to raise teacher pay (and morale), build Lab facilities, are misdirected towards a higher pay for MPs, wasteful commissions appointed by the sloth baboon, AF scandals and the like. This not only arrests general economic development that can spur the need for highly trained work force, but it stymies education delivery directly. Strikes and labour unrests present in the education workforce are not conduisive towards producing a healthy educational environment.
A poor malnourshed insecure populace will find it difficult to have a thriving educational system. Thats why the baboon just has to go.
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Post by kamalet on Mar 5, 2007 10:13:51 GMT 3
Oloo,
I think we need to agree that not all those that go to school ever come out with anything.
In the early seventies and into the early eighties, the Kenya government had a program through village polytechnics where such young people that could not pass throught he education system were given an opportunity to take trade tests for such courses like masonry, woodwork etc. Unfortunately, these institutions died a slow death and their demise is perhaps the cause of some of the social injustices we see today, where young people with no trade to call up on are sent to cities to seek out non-existent jobs. They naturally end up in crime.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The government will in the course of 2007 and into 2008 re-start youth polytechnics in all constituencies and will be recruiting about 2000 youth polytechnic trainers to man these institutions. I think though belated, this plan will offer those kenyans that failed their examinations a chance to make out something in their lives once they learn these trades. I also understand that the NYS will be revising its curriculum to enable these Kenyans to also acquire some form of training at the Engineering Institute.
It is an established position that some of these students simple do not have the apptitude for formal educational structures as those that end up with the KNEC examinations. Many years ago at Starehe, it was established that some of the poor boys coming out of the primary school stream did not have the ability to fit into the formal secondary education system. As a consequence Griffin established a 3 year trade test course for these students who ended up doing City and Guilld of London examinations on such trades like metalwork, woodwork, masonry etc. One of the products of this scheme recently retired as a head mechanic with one of the major motor dealers and is not successfully running his garage.
As you can see, it is not always the formal education structure that can help out these young people. What is needed is an established way where hope can be created for some of the young onese in this situation. Over and above that these young people need to appreciate their circumstances and take up the opportunities that address their educational inadequacies as created by society. I had the sad experience of my niece who declined an opportunity to join NYS simply because she thinks it is for school drop outs - in her case, she cannot show any school certificate even that of primary school! Now that is the product of some high cost school where she flunked her GCE examinations and cannot exactly get any other form of training that could lead to a job! How many other young people have this silly mentality and yet expect us to shed tears for their plight?
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