THE CORONAVIRUS AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN KENYA AND WHAT MUST BE DONE GOING FORWARD

The Context:

The outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has affected people all over the world. With reports of people with the virus increasing, with suspected cases feared to be higher that can be imagined. The worst thing happening being the rising number of deaths in many parts of the world, including few on the African continent.

Global shutdown of education institutions

Learning at all levels of education in many parts of the world, especially in Africa and other less developed regions of the world has been greatly affected. In Kenya, on 15th March 2020, the President ordered that learning in all educational institutions be suspended with immediate effect. Consequently, all learners remain at home until further notice.

Summary of the reported global impact

1,524,648,768 affected learners;
87.1% of total enrolled learners;
165 country-wide closures.

Possible measures to enhance learning at home:

Aware of global challenges affecting the education sector, especially during emergencies, UNESCO has generated a list of educational applications, platforms and resources below aim to help parents, teachers, schools and school administrators facilitate student learning and provide social care and interaction during periods of school closure. Having a wide reach, a strong user-base and evidence of impact, most of the solutions offer functionalities across multiple categories curated, are free and many cater to multiple languages.

These Digital learning management systems include the following:

• Distance learning solutions;
• Systems purpose-built for mobile phones;
• Systems with strong offline functionality;
• Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Platforms;
• Self-directed learning content;
• Mobile reading applications;
• Collaboration platforms that support live-video communication;
• Tools to create of digital learning content.

Kenya’s makes efforts for continued learning:

To ensure that learners are kept active while education institutions are closed, some measures have been put in place. At university level, lecturers of some Kenyan universities are being trained by their relevant staff, including ICT officers on using existing resources to engage with learners. Established private and international schools on the African continent must be on top of the game, as they are known for implementing learner-centered approaches to well-motivated learners who only consult their teachers when in class or at home.

A remarkable step by Kenya’s ministry of Education is the use of an institutional resource, EDU Channel to reach out to ECDE, primary and secondary education learners. The resource is well developed, and if learners avail the opportunity, it will engage them while schools remain shut down. There is a schedule of radio broadcasting of education programmes (9.10 am – 4.50 pm), Mon-Friday, with one slot for news on ECD Education at 4.30-4.50 pm. However, it is not possible to confirm the effectiveness of this radio programmes. 

Challenges facing continued learning

Several challenges are affecting expected continued learning during the inevitable shutdown of educational institutions:

1. With wide and growing socio-economic inequalities among different communities of the world, equity in access to ICT-based learning is a major concern, as learners from under-privileged backgrounds tend to have less access to computers and other devices outside the schools. In fact the major concern of learners as education institutions remain shut is food, water, appropriate shelter and then safety, before thinking about education, especially for early-year learners!
2. In some cases, especially on the African continent, learners live in areas that are not served with electricity and have no internet connectivity! Besides that, relevant gadgets for use among poor households is a nightmare.
3. With the ensuing uncertainties of how long the health crisis will take, prolonged school closures will cause costly disruption of educational schedules, with all stakeholders affected in nearly all countries. For Kenya, which is implementing a Competency-based curriculum where ECDE is as critical first stage of early years of learning!
4. With persistent under-staffing of schools, considering that teachers are due to retire during the education shutdown, the capacity of schools will be affected following disrupted teacher training or re-training programmes for distance learning options.
5. The coronavirus will be compounded by the ongoing global climate changes that affect food supply. Thus ensuring access to nutritious meals is a major concern during the shutdown, with developing countries lagging behind in efforts to provide adequate nutrition, which is essential for learning to take place.
6. With educational institutions shutdown, the burden on parents and caregivers has emerged as a challenge. Distance and home learning invariably places a heavy burden on parents and caregivers, with many struggling to support children in their new learning environment, often juggling between supervision, their own work and house chores, let alone ensuring safety for ALL. In fact, with media reports indicating that several Kenyans struggling to cope with the 7.00 pm – 5.00 am mandatory quarantine, one wonders who indeed is taking care of learners at home?
7. Considering that schools are hubs of social activity and human interaction, it is possible that the ensuing social isolation of children needs to be addressed, as the role of play in child development and learning is important. Given their tender age, absence of play limits socialization with the possibilities of kids developing depression!

Next steps:

With the situation evolving day by day, countries are employing a multiplicity of approaches to minimize the impact of the pandemic on learning. Considering the complexity of the challenges faced by all countries, countries must revisit existing education policies to go beyond rolling out distance learning modalities.

Possible ideas for consideration:

• Fiscal (taxation, etc.) and education policies should urgently be reviewed so that they can encompass measures to address the socio-economic dimensions of this crisis, which is affecting the lives of children in a myriad of ways.
• Due to prolonged confinement, children are being separated from their peers and teachers and deprived of socializing activities, including sports. National and state/county governments should consider mobilizing resources from development partners and international agencies to put up the necessary infrastructures for digital learning management systems, going forward.
• As the confinement of learners continues, especially for those in early years of development, it is critical to protect the well-being and mental health, and to increase support to families, teachers and caregivers.
• Governments, especially those in developing economies should closely work with UNESCO in data gathering, analyzing, and considering potential policy measuresthat may be helpful during exceptional times such as now, to ensure learning continuity, guided by principles of equity and inclusion.