More than 15,000 delegates are gathered in Mombasa for the annual Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) conference 2024. This year’s theme is “Transformative Leadership in the Digital Transition, for Inclusive and Sustainable Quality Basic Education in Kenya.” The conference, which also doubles as the KEPSHA Annual General Meeting, was officially opened on Tuesday by the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service in Kenya, Mr. Felix Koskei.

Mr. Koskei underscored the value of digital technology in improving learning and advancing school leadership and management while also emphasizing the need for collective responsibility in ensuring that the digital transition does not erode learners’ values.

Global digital transformation has redefined how we learn, how we teach and how we lead.  We urge all teachers to make digital literacy an integral part of every learner’s journey, equipping them with the skills to become suitable digital citizens and innovators of the future.

Mr. Felix Koskei, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service in Kenya

The Principal Secretary for Basic Education Dr. Belio Kipsang appreciated teachers for stabilizing the implementation of competency-based curriculum (CBC). He also lauded the milestones in integrating digital technology into the Kenyan Education system.

Technology is the way to go because it supports both delivery and assessment of our curriculum. The assessments in teacher training colleges will all go digital both in administration and marking. We look forward to leveraging technology in similar ways in our schools too. I thank you teachers for taking charge of the 2024 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), which concluded without challenges. I am happy that we did not need police officers to man assessment centers with guns as had been the case before. This is a huge relief because assessment should be done in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere.

Dr. Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary for Basic Education

The leaders reiterated the need for deliberate integration of values and life skills in education, to help develop a whole learner who will be ready for opportunities and challenges of the 21^st Century.

Primary school education is not merely a phase, it is a critical level where we embed essential values, cultivate skills and instill competencies upon which students rely for their journeys in life. We appreciate that education is a sum of intelligence and character.  Allow me to share wisdom from an old man who taught me never to hire for competencies alone but to always hire for character.  This is because, you can train people to acquire skills, but you cannot teach them to become who they are not – in character.

Mr. Felix Koskei, Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service in Kenya

Technology for School Leadership: Phone, Data, Evidence and Decisions

The Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation, Dr. John Mugo noted the organization’s digital journey and the power of technology as a tool for transformative change. His presentation shared existing innovations that have worked to ease the implementation of CBC, both within and without Zizi Afrique Foundation. “We have adopted a lot of technology at Zizi Afrique Foundation. Our digital dashboards, for example, allow us instant access to information on our programs just at the click of a button. When I want to track our progress, I don’t need to do many emails and give colleagues time to respond. I just click it and get it right where I am.”

Dr. Mugo praised the power of technology in expanding access to educational information and interaction across communities.

Today, we no longer think of education and child labour as ‘either/or’. Through technology, the young people herding animals in Mandera, and the married girls in Samburu, can have education without abandoning their culture. We must make learning possible for them. We must use technology to enhance the learning experience. Previously, teachers spent a quarter of the lesson time drawing on and rubbing the chalkboard. Today, simple concepts in science or math can be illustrated using videos and virtual reality. This is the way to improve learning outcomes, especially for those facing learning difficulty and with special needs.

Dr. John Mugo, , Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation and Principal Investigator of ALiVE

During the conference, Zizi Afrique Foundation and Regional Education Learning Initiative (RELI-Africa) teams conducted a random survey of teachers, seeking answers to this question: What data do you require to make decisions in the running of your school?  

Zizi Afrique Foundation thrives in continued partnership with the Ministry of education, teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders. The organization is a long-time partner of KEPSHA and is one of the sponsors of the KESPHA conference 2024.

We do not work to create parallel solutions to government. We have adopted systems change, supporting the public education system to improve so that it works for all children. We thank all the headteachers who have opened their school gates for us from time to time, whenever we get permission from the Ministry, in all the counties where we work. Together, we will improve learning for the children in Kenya.

Dr. John Mugo, , Executive Director of Zizi Afrique Foundation and Principal Investigator of ALiVE

Zizi Afrique Foundation has led many tech-based initiatives even during the Covid-19 pandemic, to foster household learning in marginalized communities.

In Bungoma County for instance, we distributed tablets loaded with content for parents to get involved in their children’s learning. We also had radio and short message service (SMS) technology for learning and continuity. We had tailored messages to create awareness amongst parents, while raising questions on how best they would support their children to learn even at the household level.

Ms. Virginia Ngindiru, the Director of Innovations and Practice at Zizi Afrique Foundation

Miss Ngindiru was part of a panel discussion on, Unlocking the Prospects for Enhancing Parental and Community Engagement in Schools by Addressing the Digital Divide, at the ongoing KEPSHA Conference. She called for parental engagement in the desired value-based education.

Parents are key actors in foundational learning. They are the custodians of values; they are partners in promoting inclusion of children living with disability and they support the identification and nurturing of talents for holistic learning. We must engage them.

Ms. Virginia Ngindiru, the Director of Innovations and Practice at Zizi Afrique Foundation

RELI Kenya Country Coordinator Ms. Nyambura Thiong’o shared the thematic areas and initiatives under the RELI umbrella, including education technology, parental engagement, and Action for Life Skills and Values in East Africa – ALiVE. She called for partnerships in project implementation and fundraising for collective impact.

Our model of collective leadership focuses on inclusive participation, shared vision, reflection and feedback as well as risk taking in the work we do

Ms. Nyambura Thiong’o, RELI Kenya Country Coordinator

She was representing Ms. Margaret Wawira, the C.E.O of RELI Africa, who was away on official duty.

However, challenges abound. Limited access to requisite infrastructure further compounds marginalization among learners furthest behind. Access to devices, accessories, electricity, and storage facilities, often present prohibitive costs. Data privacy and security, weak policies, and resourcing gaps for digital technology inclusion are among the challenges that complicate the use of technology in education.

At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Koskei urged teachers to commit to a functional, resilient, and thriving education system. He also called on headteachers to be prudent and accountable as they handle school funds and resources. In the current financial year, the government allocated 627 billion shillings for the education sector. “We must account for every coin as we seek to achieve the ‘zero fault audit’ in tracking public expenditure,” affirmed Koskei.

Besides headteachers, other stakeholders in education like civil society, political leaders, corporates, publishers, and school supplier traders among others, are showcasing their projects, products, and services at the conference. One can sample information and be part of engaging surveys in booth no. 23, where Zizi Afrique Foundation and RELI Kenya are holding their exhibitions.  The weeklong conference closes on Thursday with a ceremony set to be presided over by Cabinet Secretary for Education Hon. Migos Ogamba.

Report by Ray Polo
@polo_raynor