Since its launch in 1990, the ‘Education for All’ Initiative has grown worldwide recognition, even as the world has become increasingly complex, and the future even more unpredictable – driven by innovation and knowledge, but also confronted by unresolved political, environmental, and health challenges. In seeking to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa has necessitated resilient effort to transform education systems to graduate learners well-equipped for 21st century living and working. Fortunately, education systems in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda are integrating values and life skills, albeit at varying levels. Kenya is already implementing a curriculum that has integrated 8 values and 7 core (21st century) skills. Uganda has integrated life skills in both policy and curriculum. A new curriculum has been introduced for the secondary level, and this includes 21st century competencies. Tanzania is revisiting and revising the National Life Skills framework and through the support of UNICEF, has even developed a detailed strategy and tools for formative assessment of selected life skills at primary and secondary levels. In all three countries, the values and life skills group of Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI) has given a significant contribution to the processes and tools. Subsequently, governments have acknowledged the worth of these competencies in determining success in learning, life, and work for the 21st century learner. However, the real work is just beginning. First, there is little clarity on what works, and support and accountability are needed to move beyond written intentions to working classroom practices and finally attain sustainable outcomes. The region is yet to document evidence on whether some life skills are more critical than others. In all three countries, there is an acknowledgment that appropriate and contextualized tools are needed to assess outcomes in these areas to measure progress and improve policy and practice. To address these challenges, RELI initiated a three-year project on Assessment of Life Skills and Values in East Africa (ALiVE). The ALiVE initiative targets adolescents (aged 13 to 17 years) in and out of school, focusing on four life skills competencies: self-awareness, collaboration, problem-solving, and respect. It aims to: Develop context-relevant, open-source tools for assessing life skills in East Africa. Undertake household assessments targeting adolescents with the aim of generating evidence. Use the evidence to draw attention to and increase awareness on the worth of these competencies among stakeholders (public policy advocacy). Elevate RELI-VaLi to a regional community of practice on methods and measurement of life skills, replicable at the national and regional levels for sustainability through transnational alliance building. Enhance peer learning and feedback among the RELI member organizations working on improving learning outcomes in East Africa through learning, sharing and capacity strengthening.

Given that research consistently demonstrates that life skills such as: problem-solving, collaboration, respect, and self-awareness are not only essential for job success, but also for academic achievement and holistic development. However, limited awareness and understanding of these skills persist across the continent. Research findings from the ALiVE Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda Regional Report 2023 demonstrated that significant challenges in life skills persist among adolescents in the region. Approximately one-third struggle with recognizing problems and identifying potential solutions, while nearly half (49%) exhibit the ability to acknowledge a problem from one perspective and act towards finding a solution. More on this article here.

The Uasin Gishu Youth Initiative with Zizi Afrique Foundation, a local non-governmental organisation organised a successful dissemination of a report on the Assessment of Life Skills and Values (ALiVE) among teenagers in Eldoret. The initiative seeks to enhance Kenyan education systems among school-going children within the age of 13 to 17 years by equipping them with the skills and values for learning, living and for working. Speaking during the report launch, ZiZi Afrique highlighted the core skills as: problem-solving, collaboration, self-awareness, and respect, with literacy and digital literacy as additional areas. With the hopes that the national curriculum will come to emphasize the integration of life skills and values from early childhood development to institutions of higher learning. “We need to incorporate life skills and values in the curriculum from pre-primary to university level to churn out a graduate ready for the job market.” Joshua Kemboi Uasin Gishu County Coordinator Read the full article

At Machakos Teachers Training College, learners from all walks of life are admitted regardless of their physical abilities. The college has embraced Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) in classrooms and other social spaces, the incorporation of sign language interpretation in classrooms is boldly breaking communication barriers between learners and their educators, fostering a more equitable and inclusive learning experience and embody a sense of acceptance and collaboration. Despite the progress made through decades of learning, not all inclusion initiatives have supported learners with disabilities. However, the introduction of Kenyan Sign Language at basic education levels in Kenya may help change the tune. This move may incite substantial efforts by both state and non-state actors to support learners and workers to learn and use KSL. It is a welcome move at Machakos TTC where hearing students and staff learn KSL every so often and tap on signs from the hearing-impaired students as well – bridging the silent gap of communication that is often evident between hearing and deaf populations. A peek into the second-year Mathematics class at Machakos TTC presented a new lens through which to look at inclusion. Rose Nafula demonstrated how she would take a learner through a mixed fraction sum, engaging the rest of the class while Alice Wambui, the assigned KSL interpreter signs along. Beston Kiprotich, also a KSL signer then took on the sum with Alice as support. What a sight to behold! The integration of Kenyan Sign Language and interpreters into Kenyan classrooms is a laudable step towards a more inclusive educational system creating classrooms where communication is accessible to all. Students no longer feel isolated, they actively participate in discussions, contribute ideas, and engage in class activities. Learning sign language and interacting with interpreters promotes broader societal inclusion and challenges the notion that spoken language is the only way to communicate. Machakos TTC is one of many institutions collaborating with Zizi Afrique Foundation (ZAF) to champion core competencies, also known as life skills and values. ZAF also supports teacher educators at the college to define, integrate, nurture and assess these core competencies, and has influenced the formation and strengthening of clubs to enhance the implementation of competency-based education. Machakos college has gone further to introduce the said values and life skills during students’ orientation. They practice the same as they go about their businesses within and without the college.