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t is my pleasure to welcome you to this issue of the Education Focus. These are exciting times for our education sector. Yes, our teachers and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have been engaged in a discourse for several years which has occassionally broken into street demonstrations and industrial action. This is true and we look forward to an accord between our beloved teachers and their employer. However, this is not the only story. Tremendous strides have been made in education as a whole. Today we speak of millions of children in school as a result of the highly successful Free Primary Education programme that the government continues to support. We also have numerous Public and Private Universities that have opened education centres across the Country, a welcome development indeed.
In this edition we celebrate the recent appointment of Prof Philip Mbithi as the University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor, taking over from the able Professor George Magoha. We also look at the job market and employers’ expectations. Every Year, tertiary institutions of various kinds release about 400,000 youths into the job market. However due to factors outside of their control, such as slow economic growth and the punitive demand for experience by potential employers, it is estimated that 75 per cent of these starry eyed young people remain unemployed. There is an urgent need to develop policies that will create an environment where every young man and woman can exploit their potential. This has tremendous consequences for the fate of this country. Welcome to Education Focus.
At Education Focus we look forward to embarking on a journey with you, dear reader, spanning the length and breadth of this country’s vibrant education sector.
Patrick Kariuki
Editor-in-Chief
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EF Cover Story | Article By : Correspendent Photo Creadit: My Kaniaru
Between 1986 and 1987, he did a Surgical Residency – Advanced Surgical Speciality Programme at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. In 1995, Prof Mbithi completed his PhD at the University of Nairobi. Between 1995 and 2003 he was the Chairman, Department of Clinical Studies and later served as the Principal, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences until he was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration and Finance, a position he held until 2015. He was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi on January 6, 2015. Clinical veterinary medicine and orthopaedic surgery, wounding and traumatology with special interest in lameness, joint surgery and arthritides are some of Prof Mbithi’s research interests.
Family Speaking to the Press in his home in Kabete, Prof Mbithi revealed that together with his wife, Adelaide Mbaka who is a senior administrator at the University of Nairobi, they have raised their four daughters: Yvonne, a medical doctor, Victoria, a practising lawyer and Florence, an engineer. The last born, Lillian, recently graduated from the Kenya School of Law while their mother was also conferred with a doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Nairobi.
University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Mbithi in his office.
Prof Peter Mbithi during his inauguration.
PROF MBITHI MY DREAM FOR UoN
T
hough his training and experience have equipped him with the right skills to run the biggest institution of higher learning in East and Central Africa, Prof Peter Mulwa Felix Mbithi, the new ViceChancellor at the University of Nairobi assumes office at a time when competition for students by public and private universities has reached fever high. He has set his sight on making the University of Nairobi the best regionally and in Africa. The Professor of Veterinary Surgery who was born in 1956 and graduated from the University
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The family boasts of more than ten degrees, no doubt one of the highest concentrations of qualifications in one roof. “My children lived here while they attended university,” says Prof Mbithi while referring to his Kabete residence. Just about everything about the professional life of the veterinary surgeon starts and ends in Kabete. Pointing towards the road, the ViceChancellor says: “Just about ten metres from the road is the house I first occupied when I was appointed a tutorial fellow at the university in 1983. I was living there when I got married.”
Academic background
The first meeting with his wife, just as happened in other crucial milestones in his life, was the result of what he calls the “interplay of quite a number of things.” He recalls that about 31 years ago, he had gone to visit his eldest sister, a Catholic nun, at JJ McCarthy convent on Riverside Drive in Nairobi. Around the same time, Adelaide had gone to visit an old classmate who had joined the convent.
Prof Mbithi graduated with a Master of Veterinary Science (M.V.Sc. Veterinary Anesthesiology Radiology and Surgery) in 1987 from University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
“When you are in the convent and the only man, the duty of escorting a woman falls on you,” Prof Mbithi chuckles. So it was that walk with Adelaide from the
of Nairobi (UoN) with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine (BVM) in 1983 and an MSc in Clinical Studies in 1985 will also have the onerous task of ensuring the more than 170,000 graduates from the university play a critical role in its academic and physical development.
| Cover Story EF
convent, whom he had met earlier at a school in Ukambani, that turned into their walk of life. From a shrine housing women who had renounced marriage for religion, he would meet his life companion.
“It’s not that I didn’t want to be chairman, or that I didn’t have what it takes to be one. There were others who wanted to be chairmen and who had been there longer,” Prof Mbithi explains.
What’s the secret of a successful marriage? “Trust and letting the other person be,” Adelaide says. On his success in public administration and academia, Prof Mbithi admits he was initially reluctant to join the academia; with the soul ambition being veterinary practice.
And after serving as chairman for eight years, he was urged to contest for the dean’s post. “What I like about university deanship is that it’s elective. It’s not true that Kenyans are overwhelmingly tribal... I’m the living testimony that Kenyans are not tribal.” On the “tribal” student bodies at the university, Prof Mbithi says these are instigated by politicians but “when it comes to the nittygritty of things, students vote differently.”
“Those days, jobs were available. One was driven in a Land Rover and had a district to serve and they became their own bosses. But my seniors, Prof Japheth Kiptoon (then the departmental chair) and Prof Geoftrey Maloiy (then college principal) wanted me to return and teach clinicals. They won and I came here (to Kabete). I can tell you they had to send somebody to Kangundo to bring the letter of appointment,” Prof Mbithi laughs. The Vice-Chancellor was reluctant to take up scholarship and was equally hesitant to take up departmental chairmanship when he was asked to step in after the holder of the office was hospitalised, before he succumbed after ten months.
Prof Mbithi’s ascent to college principal
When you are in the convent and the only man, the duty of escorting a woman falls on you
coincided with student unrest at Kabete campus, which, he says, was able to quell and assert firm control by getting students to be part of the solution. The man whose daily routine starts at 6.30am and sometimes staggers on to midnight, says his work ethics was fortified during his sojourn in Canada, where he took his second degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Veterinary Surgery, more so after witnessing old faculty members who were fully dedicated to their students, meeting as early as 6am for a journal club meeting. He says he has taken his work as ViceChancellor with equal zeal. “I cannot afford to stumble because if I did, I would disappoint many,” Prof Mbithi says, adding that he is secure in the knowledge that “all my teachers are still at the University of Nairobi” and available for consultation. For now, he has moved from the family house that he has occupied for the past 14 years to the official Vice-Chancellor’s residence in Kileleshwa. He reveals that the house has not been occupied for the last 13 years.
Prof George Magoha, Dr Idle Farah, Prof Peter Mbithi and the Chancellor, Dr Vijoo Rattansi lead the academic procession.
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EF Cover Story | Article By : Correspondent Photo Credit: Courtesy
MAGOHA BOWS OUT AS MBITHI TAKES OFFICE
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t is a new era for the University of Nairobi. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Peter Mbithi has taken over as the seventh Vice-Chancellor, after the ten year tenure of Prof. George Magoha, who was the sixth ViceChancellor.
The handing over was done on January 5, 2015 in a ceremony attended by the University of Nairobi Chairman of Council, Dr. Idle Farah and Chair of the University Alumni Association, Dr Betty Gikonyo in the Vice-Chancellor’s Boardroom. The outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof Magoha, took the opportunity to thank the University Management Board for having given him the maximum support to be able to achieve great milestones. He noted that he enjoyed working with the team. He urged the team to support the new Vice-Chancellor to enable him take the university to greater heights. The new Vice-Chancellor thanked the University Council for recommending him to the government for appointment. He pledged his full commitment towards serving the university. The Chairman of Council noted that it is important for one to make an elegant, graceful, dignified exit. He wished Prof. Magoha well in his future endeavours. He noted that the ViceChancellor is actually the Chief Executive Officer of the University and holds everything together.
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He welcomed dialogue from the members of the UMB on issues that will move the university forward. Prior to his appointment, Prof. Mbithi was the immediate Deputy ViceChancellor, (Administration and Finance). He was in charge of University Performance Contract. The university was ranked top in 2011/2012 performance contract and to date, the University is the only public entity with excellence performance ranking. He also steered the University ISO certification in 2011 and recertification in 2014. Among the many achievements of the Prof. Mbithi, who is a Veterinary Surgeon include: Championing the rights of university staff and leading the CBA negotiations, growing the University Pension trustees funds from Sh2 billion to the current Sh11 billion as the Chairman Board of Trustees, financing several infrastructure development across the University, key among them the University of Nairobi Towers. The university community, comprising staff, students, alumni, partners wish the new Vice-Chancellor well.
Former University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Prof George Magoha.
| National News EF Article By : Mercy Ndirangu Photo Credit: Courtesy
confirmed that the German Government through development bank KfW will continue supporting the Wings to fly initiative as part of its bilateral support for Kenya. The envoys message was also echoed by his American counterpart, Robert Godec and the British High Commissioner Christian Turner, who all singled out the project as a strong poverty eradication model. Through the comprehensive scholarship, school expenses such as tuition, and other expenses associated with the cost of attending a secondary school - boarding, books, uniform, transport costs, pocket money are covered. The pupils also have the opportunity to receive mentoring and leadership development to equip them for excellence.
President Uhuru Kenyatta awards a scholarship to one of 2014 KCPE female beneficiaries as Equity Bank Group Chief Executive Officer Dr. James Mwangi reads out the names of others sponsored by the bank and Master Card under the Wings To Fly Programme.
UHURU LAUDS EQUITY BANK FOR PROMOTING EDUCATION
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resident Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed the government’s appreciation for the ongoing support by private sector players in facilitating quality education delivery in the country. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony for the Equity Bank fifth scholarship beneficiaries on January 16, 2015, President Kenyatta confirmed that the government would continue facilitating private sector partnerships that promote education access. The President further implored Kenyans including Governors and Members of Parliament to lend a helping hand to needy but bright students by supporting bursary programmes such as the Wings to Fly initiative. In recent years, the quality of education, he noted, has significantly improved as evidenced by the high number of students who managed to attain a KCPE mean score of 350 marks and above last year. Based on the Wings to Fly programme statistics, Equity Group Foundation Chairman, Dr James Mwangi noted that thousands of needy Kenyans had managed to perform exceptionally well with more than 20,000 needy and qualified scholars applying for the Wings to Fly scholarships against the programmes absorption capacity of 2,000 students this year. “In effect, this
means that we have more and more children from poor backgrounds who are performing very well academically. These, are Kenyans who can play a key role in breaking the poverty cycle if they are afforded a chance to pursue their education,” Dr Mwangi said. The Equity Group Foundation (EGF) received 20,300 applications from needy students who sat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations last year and are not able to finance their secondary school education. Dr Mwangi added: “At Equity Group Foundation, we shall continue playing our part to alleviate the plight of the needy but academically gifted students and we also call upon other institutions to join us in this journey including CDF Committees, Individuals and corporate.”
President Kenyatta in his speech commended Equity Group Foundation for supporting education in the country. “Although the government is tasked with the mandate to ensure education for all, it is through such partnerships that the children of this great nation – who are the beneficiaries – can prosper. The gains of the Wings to Fly programme are not lost to us,” he said. He added that the government has pulled all the stops to ensure that schools are well equipped and managed by qualified teachers to guarantee quality education for all. The MasterCard Foundation CEO and President Reeta Roy encouraged the pupils to take with them their good performance to their next level of education. Since the introduction of free primary school education in 2003, a large number of students have been able to access primary school education yet the transition rate to secondary school did not reflect the numbers. Also speaking at the ceremony, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Jacob Kaimenyi said that the Ministry of Education is committed to providing appropriate education programmes for all Kenyan children in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030.
With the commissioning of the 2,000 students this year, the Wings to Fly Programme will now have extended scholarships to a total of 10,377 beneficiaries in five years. Equity Group Foundation and The MasterCard Foundation, with support from USAID, UKAid and KfW and other organisations and individuals under the Wings to Fly programme have been implementing the scholarship support programme for top performing yet needy - orphan or vulnerable - students in the locations across Kenya where Equity Bank has a branch. Speaking at the same function, Germany Ambassador to Kenya Andreas Peschke A 2014 KCPE male beneficiary receiving his scholarship.
EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF News | Article By : Corny Mutisya Photo Credit: Corny Mutisya
Jubilant Machakos Boys High School students display some of the trophies their institution bagged during the District Education Day last year.
SCHOOL SOLDIERS ON DESPITE RANKING BAN
T
hough the government has banned the ranking of schools and candidates in national examinations, this has not dampened the spirit of headteachers who aim at seeing all their candidates excel in the final examinations. One such head is Masaku Muiya of Machakos Boys High School.
curricular activities and relaxation.
Committed and motivated teachers, disciplined students and incentives are some of the methods that have been employed with success at Machakos Boys High School. According to the headteacher, who bagged the 2014 Machakos District Principal of the Year, a committed teaching force is all that is required to see students register good grades in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
“The principal is one of the most important pillars in a school’s administration as he sets the mood of the institution,” he added. He said: “A person who leads with integrity is a good leader. Not only will he put others before him but will make sacrifices with dignity.”
“With a committed teaching force, the students will also work extra hard which will see them post good grades in KCSE,” he said. He says proper time management enables them to cover the syllabus on time without having to sacrifice the time set aside for co-
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Speaking to Education Focus in his office, Masaku attributed the school’s success to God’s will, hard work by both students and teachers and support from parents and other stakeholders.
While saluting the 2013 KCSE candidates for their sterling performance which saw the school’s flag hoisted high, Masaku urged teachers, parents and students to work hard to make the school a centre of excellence where all learners realise their dreams. He noted that despite the many challenges they encountered, the 2013 KCSE results were encouraging and appreciated the support
they got from all the stakeholders. He added that they expect to post good results this year, noting that the 2014 KCSE candidates were focused. “Students who perform well in end of term examinations are given prizes to motivate them while all teachers go for workshops to sharpen their teaching skills,” he said. During last 2014 annual district education day held at Machakos Boys the school won over 20 trophies. Machakos Boys, a national school situated in Machakos County, was also named the Best Managed Secondary School in the region. It had a mean score of 9.04 and was closely followed by Machakos Girls headed by Flora Mulatya with a mean score of 8.79. Machakos Boys led in Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, History, Art & Design, Agriculture, Business Studies, Computer Studies and French. The Best Public Day Secondary Schools were Kitulu Secondary, Kikumbo and Kusyomuomo respectively. Machakos Girls, Mumbuni Boys and Mumbuni Girls were named Best County Schools while Alim High, Pope Paul Seminary and Machakos Academy were the best private schools. The most improved secondary schools were Pope Paul Seminary, AIC Kiimakimwe and Mumbuni Girls.
| National News EF
UHURU: GIVE ALL SCHOOLS TITLE DEEDS By Correspondent
P
resident Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the Ministry of Lands and the Nairobi County Government to issue title deeds to all learning institutions. The President also directed that school land ownership documents be processed and registered in the names of school committees and management boards. The Head of State urged leaders including Members of County Assemblies (MCAS) to lead the war of reclaiming any stolen land
belonging to schools and report to authorities in their regions. “If you are an MCA and know there is a public land that has been grabbed, inform us so that appropriate action can be taken to ensure justice has been done,” he said. The President was speaking when he launched the construction of Nairobi’s Outering road and other infrastructural development across the city’s Eastlands. His directive came in the wake of an attempted plot to grab a piece of land belonging to Langata Road Primary School.
EDUCATION MINISTRY DIRECTED TO ISSUE FEE GUIDELINES By Mercy Ndirangu
T
he Ministry of Education has been directed to issue fees guidelines to ensure parents are not exploited by schools. Deputy President William Ruto said action will be taken against public secondary schools disregarding the guidelines and overcharging fees. The directive comes hot on the heels of a call by the Catholic Church to Parliament to legislate guidelines for secondary school fees and levies. The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops recently raised concerns stating that “unregulated school fees may lead to some bright but needy children being locked out of school.” They also stated that the government must go beyond issuing guidelines
and enforce the rules. They also called for the timely disbursement of the funds that should cater for secondary school tuition costs as Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof Jacob Kaimenyi announced the release of Sh11.2 billion in capitation to public secondary schools. Prof Kaimenyi called on the public to provide the Teachers Service Commission with evidence of head teachers charging fees over and above government policy so action can be taken against them. The policy, Prof Kaimenyi said, is that public secondary schools should not charge more than what was quoted in their 2013 fee structures. A fees freeze was put in place by President Uhuru Kenyatta in response to public outcry over the high fees charged by some public secondary school administrations. In December 2014, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang released a circular that sought to incorporate the recommendations of the Kilemi Mwiria taskforce charged by the Kenyatta government with prescribing a remedy for high fees. EducationFOCUS January 2015
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2014 KCPE RESULTS ANALYSIS
KAIMENYI: FREE EDUCATION BASIC RIGHT
Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi delivering his speech during the release of 2014 KCPE results.
Government committed to providing quality secondary education that is accessible By Jacob Kaimenyi
T
he Kenya Constitution, 2012 and the Basic Education Act, 2013 recognise Free and Compulsory Basic Education as a basic right to all children. In this regard, the Government is committed to providing quality secondary education that is accessible, equitable, relevant and affordable to all children. Consequently, a Taskforce to review secondary school fees with a mandate of establishing realistic unit cost of secondary education in public schools was constituted. The recommendations made by the Taskforce informed the development of guidelines on the management of public secondary schools that have already been communicated to schools. Once these guidelines are fully implemented, the cost of fees charged
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by public secondary schools will reduce significantly. Some of the measures stipulated in the guidelines which are being implemented as from 1st January 2015 include: Teacher rationalisation to ensure equitable distribution and optimum utilisation of teachers guided by enrollment and curriculum based establishment so as to remove the burden of hiring Board Management teachers from parents; Establishment of new schools informed by their viability on the basis of school mapping data and on recommendation of County Education Boards. This will ensure optimum use of available schools and equipping new schools from parents; Progressive development of public boarding secondary schools to at least three streams with expected class sizes of at least 35 students to maximise on economies of scale; Merging of day
2014 KCPE RESULTS ANALYSIS molding the future leaders of this nation, we must also remember that education is one of the key pillars of our economy and hence we should all work together as stakeholders to avert any situation which negatively affects the quality of education offered. Integration of primary schools Many Kenyans may think that integration of ICT in primary schools in Kenya is being abandoned, but I wish to assure them that the Government is still on course to fulfilling the pledge it made to Kenyans in regard to the same. I wish to note that my Ministry is continuing with consultations and dialogue with various stakeholders and benchmarking with other countries that have successfully implemented the same so as to develop an implementation model that will be self-sustaining. We have also embarked on massive training of teachers in a bid to prepare them as they will be critical players in the implementation of the project.
KNAP Chairman Musau Ndunda (centre) with other officials during the release of 2014 KCPE results. schools that are already established, but which have not raised a minimum of two streams with expected class sizes of at least 35 students; Prudent use of school resources and adherence to the laid down financial regulations as detailed in the Handbook of Financial management of Secondary Schools & Colleges and the Public Finance Management Act. Others are maintaining a lean, qualified and efficient non-teaching staff establishment guided by the size of the school and as per the guidelines stipulated by the ministry and encouraging students to carry out basic tasks such as gardening and cleaning, eliminating laundry services in schools and encouraging students to develop life skills. All these measures are expected to drastically reduce the cost of offering secondary education in Kenya and alleviate the burden of paying hefty fees by parents. This will ensure that students complete their secondary education and that their studies are not disrupted by being sent home for school fees. These among other guidelines on the amount of fees and levies that should be charged by all categories of schools must be adhered to without exception. Examination fees In fulfillment of the pledge made to reduce the cost of education in order to increase access, the Government has committed to pay examination fees for all candidates sitting for the KCPE and KCSE examinations to ensure pupils and students from low economic backgrounds
are not disadvantaged further by their inability to raise examination fees. However, the Ministry is aware of plans by some schools to register pupils and students who have been learning in private schools for the KCPE and KCSE examinations in public schools. I wish to warn all Head teachers of public schools accessing Free Primary Education and Free Secondary Education funds that we are closely monitoring the implementation of this policy and any Public School Head teacher found to have registered pupils and students from private schools for the KCPE and KCSE examination will be disciplined accordingly.
Teachers’ strike I wish to appeal to the teachers’ unions to consider the plight of the Kenyan child who is the most adversely affected if teaching is paralysed in our public schools. We recognise the challenges experienced by teachers in regard to accommodation, insecurity in some parts of the country, lack of adequate infrastructure in some schools, but wish to note that we should allow dialogues between the Unions and the legally established institutions mandated to handle the issue of remuneration of teachers which are the Salaries Remuneration Commission and the Teachers Service Commission to be completed. In as much as we appreciate the role played by the teachers of this country in
To date, 3,000 master trainers drawn from all the counties have been trained and 61,000 teachers (3 teachers drawn from each public school) are scheduled for training in the first quarter next year. The government has connected a total of 14,254 public primary schools to the national electricity grid and the remaining 7,000 schools shall be connected by June 2015 in anticipation of the implementation of the project. All public primary schools have also received Sh60,000 each to improve infrastructure and in particular refurbish classrooms in readiness for the ICT integration. As you are aware the procurement of the much anticipated laptops project was challenged in Court and the government continues to await the court process to conclude. Kenyans need to know that a lot of activities are going on behind the scenes in preparation for the implementation of this project.
Digital Content The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has developed digital content for both the primary and secondary school curriculum. We have successfully finalised and disseminated digital content from form 1 to 4 in 12 subjects for English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computer Studies, Business Studies, Agriculture, Home Science, History & Government and Geography. Primary School Digital content has also been developed in Mathematics and Science for classes Three to Eight. In the same spirit of digitalization of learning content, all learners in Kenya have access to quality education through Schools Radio Broadcasting and the Education through Schools Radio Broadcasting and the Educational Television channels currently reaching 98.5% and 80% of the Kenyan population respectively. Both channels are free and can be received using the simplest radio and television sets across Kenya. I am therefore appealing to all schools to make use of these resources to enhance the teaching-learning process. EducationFOCUS January 2015
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2014 KCPE RESULTS ANALYSIS KNEC DETERMINED TO SAFEGUARD EXAM CREDIBILITY By Joseph Kavilu
T
he 2014 KCPE Examination results marks 29 years since the inception of the 8-4-4 examination system in 1985. I want to assure Kenyans that we as a Council are determined to safeguarding the credibility of our national examinations and the certificates that we issue to successful candidates. The Kenya National Examination Council takes cognizance of the fact that educational assessment is a key component in the learning cycle, as a means of evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of the curriculum. We aim at ensuring that the report on examinees’ performance is meaningful and a true reflection of the individual’s learning achievement levels. To this end, I wish to ensure you that the KNEC upholds professional standards in all the processes related to Test Development, Administration and Processing of results for all our examinations including KCPE. I wish to acknowledge the role played by my predecessors in setting up the system that we continue to improve on in our examination processes. The KCPE examination was administered from 4th to 6th November 2014 to 880,486 candidates in 24,260 examination centres across the country. This is the 9th time that the KCPE examination is being tested under the curriculum which was revised in 2015.
A total of seven subject were tested in nine papers, namely: English Objectives; English Composition; Kiswahili Objectives; Kiswahili Insha; Mathematics; Science; Kenya Sign Language Objective; Kenya Sign Language Composition; Social Studies and Religion Education. This translate to total of about 6,163,500 answers scripts which had to be administered, score and processed for the candidates’ results to be released. Despite the fact that the management of the council was in in a period of transition, the 2014 KCPE examination was administered successfully with just a few challenges. I wish to appreciate the 128,753 contracted professionals who included Supervisors, Invigilators, Security Officers and Drivers for a job well done. I also wish to appreciate the 57,34 Examiners who were involved in the making of the English Composition and Kiswahili Insha for the role they played in ensuring that the 2014 KCPE examination candidates got their results on time. Other officers who deserve commendation for successful conduct of this year’s examination include officials from the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, Country Director of Education, MoEST, TSC County Directors, City and not to forget the officers from The Kenya National Examination Council who coordinated and monitored the examination. I wish to appreciate the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and our Security Agents for ensuring the security
It is worth mentioning the quick response by our security agent in Kapendo, Turkana County, after vehicles ferrying examination materials were attacked and burned by bandits.
Mrs Leah Rotich, Director, Basic Education during the release of 2014 KCPE results
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EducationFOCUS February 2015
Dr Joseph Kivilu, KNEC CEO. of contracted professionals involved in the administration of the examination, candidates and examination materials. It is worth mentioning the quick response by our security agent in Kapendo, Turkana County, after vehicles ferrying examination materials were attacked and burned by bandits. The Council continues to introduce new innovation in its operation in order to; Improve on efficiency of service delivery; Reduce the operational cost; and generate extra revenue. All the innovations are in line with the vision of Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and include the integration of ICT in all operation. Some of the current innovations include the following: Establishment of a robust Item Banking system; Introduction of Computer Based Testing; Enhancing SchoolBased Assessment; Automation of the service rendered by KNEC; Review of format of examination offered by KNEC, among others innovations. Though some of the projects may be longterm, with the support of your office, we are confident that we shall implement them and hence enhance quality of service delivery to Kenyans. In order to assist teachers and pupils in revising for KCPE, today we are launching the 2014 KCPE Examination Question Papers and Answers in soft copy for sale in CDs in our bookshop and in selected bookshop across the country. Parent and teachers are encouraged to purchase earlier editions of these books that they can expose their pupils to a wide range of topics and variety of questions that are test in KCPE.
2014 KCPE RESULTS ANALYSIS
KNEC EQUAL TO THE TASK, ASSERTS CHAIR Prof Kabiru Kinyanjui, KNEC Chairman
By Prof Kabiru Kinyanjui
I
want to extend a warm welcome to all of you gathered here at Mitihani House and various parts of Kenya awaiting anxiously the announcement of the 2014 KCPE results.
I wish also to congratulate parents, family ,members, guardians, teachers, school communities, faith organisations and other stakeholders who have taught, accompanied, supported and mentored these students throughout their primary school education. We give thanks to God for outstanding effort and sacrifices. Together, we celebrate the achievement of 2014 KCPE candidates! We are greatly honoured to have with us the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi, and the Principal Secretary, State Department of Education, Dr Belio Kipsang and all the other distinguished educators present. On behalf of the Kenya National Examination Council, I welcome you and thank you most sincerely for creating time during this festive season to commemorate this important education occasion. In 2014 KNEC faced many challenges. I am glad to say we have faced them courageously and professionally, and on the whole overcome most of them. For instance, the recruitment of a new CEO and management entailed a transition was a challenge. I am glad to acknowledge that after a rigorous and transparent process, the Council in consultation with Government, formally appointed Dr Joseph Kivuli as the CEO of KNEC. We congratulate and welcome the new CEO. We still face the challenge of continued cheating in examinations. But as it will evident when the result are announced, we have done relatively well on this score. However, more needs to be done by all those involved in management of risk related to national examinations. In KNEC, we strive to become a world class organisation in assessment for quality of education with a core values of integrity, efficiency and honesty. We expect the same from contracted professionals entrusted with handling examination materials and processes.
Recent results have, however, revealed that this is a critical and urgent challenges. The Council is well aware of the enormity of this task, and wishes to ensure you, Cabinet and Kenyans, that the Board is working tirelessly to restore the credibility and the reputation of KNEC. Hence the new CEO is called upon to rise up to the challenges entailed with speed and clarity but he is not alone in this journey. The KNEC Board and most of the staff are geared towards a paradigm shift to strengthen the reputation and integrity of the organisation. In 2015 we expect new challenges among them completing the new Mitihani House, crafting a new strategic plan, as well as implementation of the new policy of registration of KCPE and KCSE students in public schools whose fees will be borne by the government. Differentiating students who will qualify for government subsidy from others is going to be a headache. But KNEC is ready to face the challenge, including the possibility of unusual increase in the number of candidates. The Ministry must, however, support the endeavour by clarifying as to who qualify for the subsidy, and availing KNEC the requisite funds on timely basis. The Council and the staff are grateful to all our partners for the invaluable support you have given to KNEC in undertaking the enormous task of registration of candidates, administration and security of exams, marking and processing of results of 880,486 candidates. A lot people are involved in this process, and our success in 2014 is indeed a shared success. While the Board continued to give policy guidance and delegate its mandate to the management, KNEC staffs have taken up their responsibilities with diligence and commitment throughout the year to manage and process the 2014 KCPE. We appreciate the devotion of the staff who work tirelessly throughout the year to make sure that every candidate is well served. Finally, I wish to make a special mention of the media. We appreciate the critical role you have played in giving the public well considered information on the quality of examinations in assessment of performance of students, benchmarking quality of education, certificate and overall national development.
In 2015 we expect new challenges among them completing the new Mitihani House, crafting a new strategic plan, as well as implementation of the new policy of registration of KCPE and KCSE students in public schools whose fees will be borne by the government.
EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF News |
From left: Leah Rotich, Bellio Kipsang, Prof Kabiru Kinyanjui, Dr Joseph Kivilu and Prof Jacob Kaimenyi during the release of 2014 KCPE results.
EXAM RANKING BAN ILL-CONCEIVED By Correspondent
T
he policy decision to abolish ranking of schools based on examination results was communicated with characteristic arrogance and finality by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, notwithstanding the fact that many school administrators, teachers and parents thought it ill-conceived. An observer of the nature of policymaking in Kenya would justifiably conclude that this behaviour reflects the dominant ethos of the management of public affairs in the country. First, there appears to be the thinking that the Kenyan taxpayer or user of public services is dainty and unable to take news that shows shortcomings in their performance. This is why the reasoning presented is that school
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EducationFOCUS February 2015
rankings expose some schools, primarily the worst-performing public schools, to ridicule. So while there are many other sound reasons for retaining the ranking system, the mere fact that the hitherto existing order confers privileges upon private schools and academies to the disadvantage of public schools is sufficient reason, it seems, to avoid ranking altogether. Plainly put, if a ranking system reflects some of us in bad light, then the state will utilise executive fiat and ban the ranking system; citizens must appear to be equal even if they are not Second, it may be true that the ranking system that had evolved over time had
developed into a vicarious advertisement for private schools and academies. For this reason, the ranking system was not a reliable indicator of the “holistic” education that state policy now favours. This second argument has been presented by interested non-state actors as implying that Kenya’s education system was being shaped into a very narrow focus based on results gained by candidates over a week or a month’s worth of examinations. I am not convinced by the argument that measuring for academic achievement is in itself undesirable, but still think that a ban on the ranking does not cure the absence of wholesome training. If the results reflect much less than what a
| News EF
pupil actually gained over four to eight years, then the examination should be changed and a new ranking system developed to measure whatever the loudest education policy advocates and bureaucrats deem correct. To ban is to cop out when the alternative is to develop an examination system that measures what the students have learnt. But I understand that when a complex policy problem surfaces, the conventional response is to ban what is not liked. Therefore, the abolition of school ranking shows the inability to accept that a solution is required, and that those who are invited to sit in the committees that develop policy reforms are not capable of thinking more innovatively.
Thirdly, the swift abolition of the school rankings tells Kenyans that bureaucrats believe that all failures in public service provision are due to inadequate funding. An example is seen in the way state departments that are completely inefficient in the way they use existing resources continue to argue that availability of financial resources is the major constraint in achieving goals. The message with regard to publicly funded primary schools is that if only they matched the level of facilities that private schools provide, then the differences in ranking would disappear. Finally, abolishing school rankings assumes that all that is required for an activity declared undesirable to vanish is for the state to make a declaration banning it.
While monitoring the discourse in a variety of online forums, I saw the reaction of an individual who understood the bungling of the Ministry of Education as an opportunity to build a ranking system and deploy it for commercial use. What this means is that the demand for ranking has been demonstrated and what the abolition has done is to ensure that it will be privatised in due course. This proves that sometimes the state too undertakes tasks that it is unfit to perform. Surrendering such tasks will be an opportunity for firms to develop ranking systems that will prove their value in the market. The private schools and parents who are interested in using the ranking as an accountability tool will not wait for long.
Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi with KNAP Chairman Musau Ndunda (right) and other officials during the release of 2014 KCPE results. EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF News | Article By: Correspondent Photo Credit: File
Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Bank Group receiving a cheque from an alumnae who registered during the UONAA Gala Dinner held at University of Nairobi Main Campus to mark the Association’s 10th Anniversary.
UoN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE In the last ten years of UONNA’s existence the Executive Committee and the alumni office have worked tirelessly to ensure sustained growth.The milestones achieved include:Recruiting over 50,000 Alumni as life and annual members; Establishing 12 faculty and discipline based chapters and hosting social functions for the alumni. 18 18
|EducationFOCUS EducationFOCUS | February 2015 February 2015
T
he University of Nairobi Alumni Association (UONAA) celebrated the 10th Anniversary on February 6, 2015 with calls for the alumni to give back to the institution that nurtured them. The Association was launched on February 5, 2005 at the Chancellor’s Court in a colourful ceremony graced by the then Higher Education, Science and Technology Minister, late Prof George Saitoti. Speaking during the Gala Dinner, the chief guest, Dr James Mwangi, Group Chief Executive Officer, Equity Bank reminded the alumni on the need to help the institution which shaped their different careers. Dr Mwangi said the UONAA’s founding vision of ‘taking a leading role in the promotion of active and visible leadership in the community by fostering interaction among the Alumni, student community, families, friends and industryand mission ‘to safeguard the best interests of the members and to use their talents and resources
in support of the University’s quest to achieving international distinction in quality teaching, research and community service’ has guided the Association well in the last decade. UONAA Chairperson, Dr Betty Gikonyo said right from the launch where Sh750, 000 was raised from the 75 members who registered on the spot, millions of shillings have been raised which have beenused in undertaking development and academic projects at the University of Nairobi. She said in the last ten years the Association has launched 12 Alumni Chapters. The chapters are Range Management, Veterinary Medicine, Human Medicine, Agriculture, Engineering&Architecture, Design and Development, MBA (School of Business), Journalism, Institute of Diplomacy & International Studies, School of Computing and Informatics, Pharmacy and Chiromo Chapters. In June 2006, the first ever Alumni night was held at the Carnivore and was attended by over
| News EF 600 alumni. This provided an avenue for Alumni interaction, networking and dialogue with the University Management. The Association has also participated in Scientific Conferences of both the Kenya Medical and KenyaVeterinary Associations, where new members were recruited. In 2006 under the stewardship of Dr Betty Gikonyo, the Association launched the University of Nairobi Alumni Association Award for Best Overall Student in all colleges in order to increase its visibility and make it more relevant to the lives of the students as future alumni. The UONAA has over the years participated in University events such as Graduation Ceremonies, Conferences, Seminars and meetings. The Association also donated over 100 concrete garden benches and today they are a common feature in the Main Campus grounds.
The milestones achieved include:- Recruiting over 50,000 Alumni as life and annual members; Establishing 12 faculty and discipline based chapters and hosting social functions for the alumni.
For outdoor comfort UONAA has placed 150 concrete benches at a cost of Kshs1.3 million in all of University of Nairobi’s colleges and campuses. The benches serve as relaxation places for students and discussion area for study groups. Other notable achievements include: Kshs9 million donation to University Bursary Fund towards paying fees for bright and needy students; University Students prizes worth Kshs2.4 million; sponsorship of students and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects worth Kshs0.8 million and renovation of the alumni fund-raising office at Kenya Science Campus at a cost of Kshs2 million. To ensure corporate identity, the Association Others are Alumni Office Operations (Kshs5.4M) has been producing newand investment look University of Nairobi towards Alumni Centre The Association plans to raise Ksh1 branded shirts and blouses (Kshs50M), all from billion endowment fund which will for Alumni members membership and cater for bursaries and other grants and UoN staff, designing convocation fees. at the University of Nairobi. and producing Alumni The Association has Membership Certificates; also aided those in The withdrawals from the invested successfully negotiated need. These include capital will be used to give needy the use of University taking part in charity students at the University of Nairobi Library by active members walks and hosting bursaries. and sending out season’s blood donation greetings and a newsletter exercises besides other to all registered members. activities. This has led to a lot of positive feedback from members expressing gratitude to the University, portraying it as sensitive to its Alumni. In February 2009, the Association donated Kshs5 Alumni Centre million towards the University Bursary Fund for One of the major goals of the Association is to needy students. The Association continues to give put up an Alumni Centre at a cost of about Sh1 bursaries to needy students at the University of billion. The University of Nairobi management Nairobi to date. has already donated two acres of land at the Arboretum Drive for the purpose. In June 2009 the Association held an Alumni Over the years the Association has stepped up reunion and Elders’ Night for the graduating its campaign to raise funds towards the Alumni Class of ‘09 at the KICC, where the Chief Guest Centre. was the (then) Vice-President, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, a 1977 Law Alumnus.The Alumni had The Centre will be a complete one-stop building an opportunity to interact and socialise while where the Alumni can socialise, celebrate and at the same time mentoring the young alumni engage with students, faculty members, preparing to join the world of work and business. past colleagues and others in the university community. In September 2009, a steering committee was The Centre will be appointed to steer the initiated Alumni Centre right in the Project. The envisaged Alumni Centre will provide heart a physical personification of the Alumni at the o f University while at the same time giving identity main to its members. The Association has in the last ten years been producing a revamped Alumni magazine with a new masthead - the UoNairobi. The magazine is successfully rolled yearly with support from advertisers. In the last ten years of UONNA’s existence the Executive Committee and the alumni office have worked tirelessly to ensure sustained growth.
campus and will facilitate many things among them:Socialising on the terrace gardens, alumni lounge, or other welcoming spaces throughout the building; Participating in intellectual forums such as public lectures and distinguished scholars speech, distinguished service awards and students prizes; Celebrating and connecting with old friends at reunions and networking events; Pursuing lifelong learning through continuing education courses at the same time engaging former professors in the library or café and mentoring of students using the centre’s world class conference facilities. The Centre will centralise all the operations of the Association and will have versatile and conducive world class facilities for the Alumni. Some of these facilities include an alumni library, a recreation center, four star hotel, guest rooms, conferencing facilities, business centre, parking space, banking services, a hall of fame, V-C’s court, an automobile service station among others. The Alumni Office is actively engaging Corporates, Alumni and friends to make this project a success. The Association appeals to all the Alumni and corporate to join us in raising funds for this noble project. Endowment Fund The Association plans to raise Ksh1 billion endowment fund which will cater for bursaries and other grants at the University of Nairobi. The withdrawals from the invested capital will be used to give needy students at the University of Nairobi bursaries. The Association invites the Alumni and corporate bodiesto contribute to this kitty. Others who addressed the gathering included UoN Chancellor, Dr Vijoo Rattansi and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Peter Mbithi.
EducationFOCUS January 2015 19 EducationFOCUS January 2015 19
EF Opinion |
LOCAL GRADUATES LACK KEY SKILLS FOR JOB MARKET
I
n 2014 thousands of students graduated from local universities and colleges. Parents were blessed as they watched their children dressed in gowns and mortarboards cross the graduation threshold. Yet were they prepared? Many of these graduates will achieve great success. But is this the best definition of “prepared”? What is it that these graduates are actually” prepared” to do? Cynically, we can say they have been trained to dress well, shut up, do what they are told, not question authority, avoid thinking innovatively or critically, love money and buy fun things. We still have complaints from employers that most of the graduates are half-baked. We need to address these challenges as a country. The article published by Business Daily on Monday February 9, 2015 revealed that graduates from Kenyan universities are less competitive in the job market due to gaps between their training and the skills employers want. The article which quoted a report by Washington-based Results for Development Institute (R4D) states that local tertiary institutions need to impart graduates with skills such as communication, leadership, decisionmaking and critical thinking to stay ahead of the dynamic career race. The think-tank also called on African institutions to link with employers and industry to bridge the skills gap. The findings say soft skills are crucial for economies like Kenya where the informal sector generates about 80 per cent of jobs.
“Non-cognitive skills may be even more important in the informal than in the formal economy—most informal workers are self-employed and thus need to be able to work along the entire value chain, running their own businesses,” it says. R4D argues that the jua kali and SME sectors require players with entrepreneurial and business skills such as financial management, market research and marketing. “Informal economy workers need to be more self-reliant than formal economy ones.” The findings come after disagreements between universities and professional associations over the quality of graduates as many of them fail to meet expectations at the work place necessitating that employers conduct on-the-job training. The American institution says 21st century work places need graduates with a mix of life skills, cognitive and non-cognitive skills. Interestingly, Kenya does not have a national manpower strategy — a policy document that should define and catalogue the country’s human resource and align it to the labour market. Furthermore, most universities do not have mandatory career counselling programmes, job placement centres to coordinate internships and trainings with industry or exchange programmes with foreign universities. So what will happen to our graduates the next coming year?
Non-cognitive skills may be even more important in the informal than in the formal economy—most informal workers are self-employed and thus need to be able to work along the entire value chain, running their own businesses 20
EducationFOCUS February 2015
| News EF
KUPPET top officials led by Omboko Milemba and Akello Misori addressing a press conference.
Uhuru’s aide cautions tutors over strike By Stephen Odongo
P I am suggesting that they have no reason to be on strike, although we care about what teachers have done for this country including moulding us, we need to take a step back and end the strike that has paralysed learning in schools. Teachers contribute tremendously to the development of this country. The best way for that to continue is there for not to be a confrontation between the teachers and government
resident Uhuru Kenyatta’s Senior Adviser on Education Kilemi Mwiria has urged teachers to be patient as they await the job evaluation by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) in August, before their salaries are reviewed. Mwiria said tutors should allow the government to address their grievances rather than resorting to strikes. He indicated that this is the only way for the government to deal with the pay structure of all civil servants. “The government has not refused to increase the basic pay of other civil servants. It is just that since the formation of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the government left these matters to an independent body that would review salaries for all of us and that review is going to be completed in eight months. Teachers are not the only ones waiting and I think that is good for the country,” he said. He further urged teachers to have
confidence in the government as their demands were being tackled. “We do not want a situation where the nurses go on strike, the teachers go on strike and other civil servants go on strike for pay. I think it is important to have one body which can harmonise all that so that we do not have different groups coming out to the government at different times of the year feeling that they should go on strike. It is better that we have one body and if we can harmonise and everyone is treated equally, that will be better,” he stated. He explained that the gains made should not be downplayed but should be seen as an indication of the government’s commitment to look after their needs. “I can tell you that we are there in terms of allowances, housing, medical, that is exactly the same for all. The only difference is the issue of the basic pay and it does not only apply to teachers. I think that needs to be made clear unless teachers want to be treated in a special way,” he said. “I am suggesting that they have no reason to be on strike, although we care about what teachers have done for this country including moulding us, we need to take a step back and end the strike that has paralysed learning in schools. Teachers contribute tremendously to the development of this country. The best way for that to continue is there for not to be a confrontation between the teachers and government.” He emphasised that the tutors had not reason to go on strike and urged them to be reasonable in their demands. “When this happens, the parents suffer, the students suffer and basically everyone involved are affected. So all this needs to end. The teachers have no basis for a strike. They have all these allowances which they befit from and they need to consider all this,” he said. “To be very honest, things are much better than they are portrayed. I think that there is also a level of greed by the Union members that we need to confront. They need to come out clearly and explain to their members what the situation on the ground is.” EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF County News | Article By: Taib Mohammed
WHY RANKING BAN IS GOOD NEWS FOR COAST SCHOOLS
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n Kenya, good performance in national examinations is the key to access to institutions of higher learning and eventually securing gainful employment. The persistent mass failure in national examinations in many counties in Coast is worrying to students, parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the education sector.
Mvoyi warned that unless the trend changes Coast should not expect good results soon. “As we cry for good performance in education, there is need to have more schoolbased forums to discuss and dialogue with the children on the importance of education,” he said. Speaking to Education Focus, Mvoyi said the unrest witnessed in secondary schools during mock examinations is due to students’ failure to prepare for the exams. According to him, most political leaders in Coast region are reluctant to talk about education with some of them being school
Prof Gona said despite the high cases of indiscipline in schools some stakeholders are yet to take full responsibility in driving the sector forward.
“The worst problems include misunderstanding between the stakeholders and wrangles between teachers, parents and management boards; we should sit on a round table and see where we might have gone wrong inThe previous ranking of performance based stead of trading accusations,” said the don. on counties has been putting coastal counAccording to him, poor attitude on educaties among the bottom in Kenya. tion and indiscipline among students cause In 2011 Coast region performed poorly with poor performance while a large population Kwale, Kilifi, Lamu, Taita-Taveta and Tana of parents lack formal educaRiver Counties scooping the tion which is why they give last positions in KCPE nationThe increase in drug abuse among children education lukewarm supally. The performance in KCSE port. examinations was equally is causing sleepless nights to many parents. dismal. Drug peddlers have also found a unique way Kenya National Union of Teachers Mombasa branch In the 2012 KCPE results, pubof delivering the stuff to students either at Executive Secretary, Dan lic schools in Coast region home or at school. Unlike the old days where Aloo, says despite efforts to performed poorly as comcome up with more schools pared to private schools, with tobacco (ugoro in Swahili) was mostly used by and particularly the CDF only two candidates being in the top ten best nationally in old men and women as stimulant, it is now being commissioned ones, lack of teachers is a major Mombasa County. consumed by students who have nicknamed it qualified problem as some hired are Mombasa topped the region Form Four leavers. at position 35 nationally with “memory card” He noted that during 2013 a mean score of 238. Kilifi, national examination - primary and secondTaita, Lamu and Kwale took positions 40, 41, drop-outs. ary - insecurity caused the dismal perfor42 and 43 respectively. mance. The increase in drug abuse among children Tana River was ranked position 44 with a is causing sleepless nights to many parents. “The debate whether examinations were mean score of 211, with the highest student Drug peddlers have also found a unique way to be done or not due to the threat by MRC scoring 404 marks. The percentage of boys of delivering the stuff to students either at was a blow, it led to deployment of security home or at school. to girls was 70 per cent against 30 per cent. personnel in examination centres in the six However, Mombasa produced the best fe- Unlike the old days where tobacco (ugoro counties. What was the message sent to the male candidate nationally in 2013 KCSE, Ab- in Swahili) was mostly used by old men and candidates; there was tension and worse was dulkarim Tasneem Hasham of Sheikh Khalifa women as stimulant, it is now being conto the students who had never come face to sumed by students who have nicknamed it who had a performance index of 86.817. face with police officers,” said Aloo “memory card” He said the Tana clashes impacted negatively With the new county dispensation, educa- Just like marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol, the education sector in the area and perfortion stakeholders are calling for quick in- Ugoro is now easily accessed by students mance in Coast generally. terventionists to arrest the problem which, despite the ongoing campaigns against they note, is a threat to the growth of the drug abuse. The Knut boss called for deployment of more Drug abuse has been blamed for indiscipline region’s economy. teachers, adding that Mombasa had a shortin schools and according to Mvoyi, there is age of over 300 teachers, with the few availThe stakeholders want social-cultural prob- need to punish students found using the able forced to teach beyond their capacity. lem addressed including the early pregnan- stuff. “The introduction of Free Primary Education cies and marriages among girls. has made many public schools to register Francis Mvoyi, a retired education official, According to Prof Gabriel Gona, inadequate more pupils than the teachers can handle. says illiteracy among many parents is a hic- learning facilities and poor relationship beThe discontinuation of the School Feeding cup to children’s education as many of them tween stakeholders in learning institution Programme has worsened the situation as are among the causes of dismal perfordo not value education. children cannot concentrate in class when He said lack of role models among children mance in Coast. hungry,” noted Aloo. has made the learner lack the need for edu- Speaking to Education Focus, the don called The scarcity water has made many children cation as they are used to ordinary village on the county government to come up with and women spend most of their time searchan education kitty to benefit all the residents life. ing for the precious commodity. particularly the needy.
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EducationFOCUS EducationFOCUS February February 2015 2015
| County News EF Article By: Correspondent Photo Credit:: Kaniaru Ndirangu
ITS TOUGH LIFE FOR TEACHERS IN NORTHERN KENYA
KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion addressing the Press during the 2014 Annual Delegates Meeting.
A
new report by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) reveals the harrowing experience teachers in North Eastern Region go through.
The report cites the massacre of 28 teachers in Mandera in November last year noting it would have been avoided had the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Ministries of Education and Internal Security acted on petitions by affected teachers. The teachers in their petitions had urged the TSC to transfer them until the government improves security in the region. The report says teachers undergo harrowing experiences at the hands of students, head teachers, parents and county education officers who derogatorily refer to them as adhome (slaves), or nguraro (‘hard’ hair) or kafir (unholy). Although killings of 28 teachers and 37 quarry miners last year was blamed on Al Shabaab, the experiences of the teachers documented in the report point to the possibility of execution by locals at the behest of senior political leaders. The testimonies of more than 1,053 teachers, copies of which TSC and the Ministry have, tell of events in which the teachers, and by extension civil servants from other parts of the country are mentally and physically abused in a manner that has strong elements of racism or ethnic profiling. The union has been demanding the transfers of more than 1,500 teachers from North Eastern to their preferred counties and their positions filled by locals. The teachers say despite assurances of protection and safety, the presence of the Government on the ground is thin. They say religious discrimination aided by ethnic xenophobia, has poisoned relations between indigenous communities and what they refer to as “Down Kenyans”. Mandera, Garissa, Marsabit and Wajir counties have been identified as serious enclaves of insecurity that operate under different governance and legal jurisdictions.
Teachers working in Mandera camping outside TSC headquarters. The commission has advertised for 1,089 vacancies to replace the teachers who have refused to go back to north-eastern Kenya.
The report signed by KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion says: “The fears of teachers have remained unaddressed for a long time; it has led to the actual killing of teachers for it to be thought that ‘down Kenya teachers’ (sic) have been sent (sic) to teach Christianity. ..The teachers are unable to teach pupils because the (local) community sees them as enemies of their religion.” “Down Kenya teachers” in northern and north-eastern Kenya refers to teachers from other parts of the country or non-indigenous. According to the report, the situation gets worse during class and national examinations as head teachers, parents and students gang up to force the teachers to allow the candidates to cheat. The students insist on being given easy or simple internal examinations. In one instance in Mandera, teachers who captured death threats on video reported, “The head teacher (name deleted) approached teachers individually to persuade them to participate in exam cheating. The exam was Kiswahili paper and when the teachers questioned it, they were warned and threatened.” When the teachers are not being harassed over examinations, their religious persuasion puts them in the firing line. “Most teachers who do not convert to Islam are called pagans. Most teachers of Somali origin come to work late and leave school at 12 noon. For nonSomalis, (if they come late to school late) a casualty is written for being late for even one day,” the report adds. According Sossion, there are about 10,000 KNUT members in Mandera, Garissa, Marsabit and Wajir counties. The report cites the January 2012 Al Shabaab attack in which one teacher was killed and the one who escaped was interdicted by the commissioner at the behest of the school’s head-teacher. KNUT wants “all the affected teachers to be transferred to places where their services are required. The vacancies created by such transfers should be filled by new employment,” the Knut report recommends.
EducationFOCUS January 2015
23
EF County News |
ELIMU ACADEMY LEADS IN KCPE IN KISII
STUDENT ENROLMENT AT KIRINYAGA UNIVERSITY GROWS By Correspondent
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irinyaga University Principal, Prof Mary Ndung’u says the institution is going to experience massive growth in the next few years and that there is an urgent need for cooperation with other stakeholders such as the county government and investors. She said within the next two years, the university student population will grow from the current 1,600 to 4,000, with a target of 40,000 in the next few years. “This offers a great opportunity for investors and also calls for co-ordinated planning of Kutus Town. We want to offer training that is relevant to the needs of the people and be in line with county government’s vision, hence the need for partnerships,’’ said Prof Ndung’u. She regreted that the university lacks enough buildings to accommodate the increasing
meeting with Kirinyaga Governor Joseph Ndathi, in his Kutus Town office held to help jump-start official cooperation with the county government. She said the university plans to start a school to teach health sciences, “an important area of cooperation with the county government”. Prof Ndung’u, who was accompanied by the university council chairman, Prof Gideon Achari and other top officials, said the college decided to keep the diploma and certificate courses in technical education because technicians in the field of construction are in great demand. She said given that there are only 19 polytechnics in the county, it is a great opportunity for cooperation between the county government and her institution. During the meeting, it was agreed that the two institutions work together to accelerate development in the county. A technical team of members drawn from each side was formed and tasked to develop the modalities of the partnership. The governor said the university has a
David Kombo, a Politician and of Elimu Academy in Kisii County speaking to Education Focus. By Nyariacha Arika
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limu Academy in Kisii County led in the 2014 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations in the region after its 10 candidates scored over 400 marks out of the possible 500 marks. The school in the outskirts of Kisii town presented 43 KCPE candidates out whom 22 were admitted to national schools. Its top and 22 candidates garnered 421marks and 390 marks respectively. The last candidate got 354 marks. Celebrating the sterling performance David Kombo, the school’s director, said the mean score improved from 365 in 2013 to 388 this year. He attributed the feat to high standards of discipline among children, parents and teachers together with uninterrupted enrollment from class one to eight. He faulted the Ministry of Education of abolishing the ranking of schools and candidates in national examinations.
number of students and urged local investors to construct hostels since the population of learners is expected to grow tremendously. “We need local investors to come on board and construct hostels which will accommodate our students and as a university we will be the one to help them collect rent and we will develop the county together,” she said. Prof Ndung’u spoke during a
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potential to be the engine of growth in the county and expressed his willingness to support, collaborate and cooperate with the university so that the vision can be achieved. “Areas of cooperation range from waste water management, health, education, training of county staff, hospitality industry and agriculture,” he said, and singled out the planned establishment of a medical school will provide students ready to work in local health institutions as they study.
| County News EF
ELGEYO-MARAKWET EYES FIRST PUBLIC VARSITY with one allied to the governor while another one was led by the county Senator, Kipchumba Murkomen. “Let me assure the local residents that construction of a university project which had stalled for the last two years due to political differences is set to be revived this year,” said Tolgos. He spoke in Iten after holding a closed-door meeting with county leaders over the matter. He was accompanied by Senator Murkomen, MPs Jackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South), Dr James Murgor (Keiyo North), Bowen Kangogo (Marakwet East), William Kisang (Marakwet West) and county women’s Rep Dr Susan Chebet.
Elgeyo Marakwet County Governor, Alex Tolgos. By Correspondent
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he first-ever public university is set to be established in Elgeyo Marakwet County this year, area Governor Alex Tolgos has revealed. The governor said construction of the planned multi-million shilling university will start soon and that there should be no cause for worry of the
delay to implement the project. He said the longstanding differences among the county political leadership that had stalled the construction of an institution of higher learning in the region have now been resolved. The feud over the proposed site where the university was to be established pitted two political camps,
Let me assure the local residents that construction of a university project which had stalled for the last two years due to political differences is set to be revived this year,
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EF County News | Article By: Kephas Ayiecha Photo Credit: Courtesy
KITALE TECHNICAL SCALES GREAT HEIGHTS
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itale Technical Training Institute (KTTI) has set eyes on becoming the best national polytechnic in North Rift region. This is evident through the modernisation of its facilities and adoption of information technology to facilitate quality training.
According to the Chief Principal, Dr Stella Onyiego, the great journey began five years ago with focus on improving infrastructure, human capital and acquisition of modern training equipment. “Our aim is to improve the training to ensure learners meet the current job market demands,” she told Education Focus. The institution attained ISO certification in 2012 for having embraced a Quality Management System in its functions as an educational institution. The training facility mentors Chepareria and Sigor Technical Institutes in West Pokot County. KTTI offers courses in nine academic departments which are examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), KASNEB, City and Guilds among other examining bodies. The Chief Principal noted that it took a series of staff training, internal and external audits and management reviews to attain the current status. “We have been able to define roles and participation of staff in daily operations and enhancing customer satisfaction through quality service delivery,” said Dr Onyiego. The Chief Principal also said they are seeking support from all stakeholders to enable them improve their facilities and procure modern training equipment. KTTI was the second technical institution in the North Rift to be ISO certified after Rift Valley Technical Training Institute in Eldoret.
Kitale Technical Training Institute, Chief Principal, Dr Stella Onyiego.
Dr Onyiego who is also the Chairperson of the North Rift Region Technical, Industrial, Vocational, Entrepreneurship Training (TIVET) reiterated the importance of exhibitions in nurturing the skills of learners, saying class work alone was not sufficient to build the competitiveness of students. “We wish to emphasize all the technical colleges in this region to embrace exhibitions in science for the sake of bettering their skills in line with the vision 2030,” she said.
MERU: SCHOOL WITH DULL PAST BREAKS JINX OF POOR RESULTS Igoki Boys’ Secondary School in Imenti South, Meru County was shut down in 1996 due to indiscipline among students, poor performance and lack of support from the community before reopening two years later. Currently, the school is one of the best in Meru County and nationally where it has been appearing in the top 100 district schools for the last ten years. According to the Principal, Stanley Chabari, the school’s streak of sterling performance began in 2002 when it was ranked position 18 among district schools nationally. “The school opened its doors in 1983 and the pioneer students sat for their KCSE in 1987. Unfortunately, the school experienced rampant indiscipline, poor performance and lack of support. However, through concerted efforts by all stakeholders, the school is becoming an academic giant in this region,” Chabari said. EducationFOCUS February 2015 26 26 EducationFOCUS February 2015
He notes that since the reopening, the school has had gradual growth from a population of 40 students to about 400 currently while improving its mean score from 5.0 in 2001 to 8.1 last year. “We have been able to improve performance through proper management of time and hard work. We introduced academic vigils where students hold discussions late into the night on Saturdays. Benchmarking with best performing schools has also given us the zeal to perform,” he said. In 2013 the school was ranked position 11 nationally in the district schools category and position 9 in Meru County where 76 out of 87 candidates scored grades above C+ (plus). This year’s candidates are targeting a mean score of 8.5 to continue in the schools gradual improvement trend. Chabari cites lack of enough land for expansion and fee payment problems as the key challenges they face.
| County News EF Article By : Kephas Ayiecha Photo Credit: Kephas Ayiecha
TRANS NZOIA SCHOOL SHINES IN KCPE
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itale School maintained its top performance in 2014 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination in Trans Nzoia County by posting good results. The school produced the county’s best third student, Tinega Emmanuel Onsinini, who scored 424 marks in a performance that saw the school get a mean of 347. The mean score is an improvement from 2013’s performance where it garnered a 337. The school also improved in all subjects. In 2013 the school had a mean score of 68.94 in Mathematics, English (71.78), Kiswahili (64.5), Science (64.98) and Social Studies (67.15). Last year the school got a mean score of 70.42 in Mathematics, English (77.64), Kiswahili (65.71), Science (65.43) and Social Studies (68.16). Parents, teachers and pupils at the school were thrown into a celebration mood when they got wind of the exemplary performance in last year’s KCPE. The principal, Margaret Wanyonyi attributed the good performance to team work by teachers, parents and the sponsor. “Our determination could not have become a reality if we could not have had team work. This shows our zeal to perform even better in coming years,” said Wanyonyi. The head teacher, Hesborn Ngaira, said
Kitale School Primary section head teacher Hesborn Ngaira (left) and the principal Margaret Wanyonyi (right) lead teachers in a celebration after the school posted improved results in last year’s KCPE. The school posted an improvement from a mean of 337 in 2013 to 347 in 2014. time management was their secret weapon which enabled them to clear the syllabus in time to have time for revision. “The good performance did not come on a silver platter, it is a reflection of our hard work, ” Ngaira who is also the region’s KEPSHA vice chairman said. The English teacher, Eska Bichanga, whose subject emerged the best could not hide her joy as she thanked God for rewarding her efforts. “While I worked on achieving a better mean grade, I never imagined that English would become the best subject. I give thanks to the Almighty,” she said. Matisi MCA Betty Kipsongok thanked the school
for emerging the best in the county and urged other schools to emulate its working spirit. “I take this opportunity to thank Kitale School for their excellent performance. This a challenge to other schools,” said the MCA. Trans Nzoia West District Education Officer, Enock Okwemba said he was impressed by the school’s performance. Meanwhile, some schools in the county were in a mourning mood after posting poor results in 2014 KCPE. For instance, a pupil at Amagoro Primary School scored an average of 95 marks which is below what some pupils scored in a single subject. Okwemba said such schools will be closed.
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EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF County News | Article By: Stephen Maranga Photo Credit:: Stephen Maranga
KISII COUNTY EMBRACE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
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isii County is set to embrace inclusive education in line with the recommendations of a task force.
special needs to facilitate planning. Other recommendations include incorporation of persons with disability in education committees.
The mode of education was among 19 recommendations crafted by a 30-member task force following a recent County Education Conference.
The county government was also urged to address the shortage of teachers especially those handling children with disabilities.
Speaking during the launch of the exercise at Kisii County Government Boardroom, the task force chairman, Dr Henry Onderi challenged the members to ensure the recommendations are implemented. The conference recommended that the county government ensures all schools are ready for inclusive education through provision of physical facilities.
Kisii Deputy Governor, Joash Maangi.
A base line survey will be conducted to establish the number of learners with
Addressing the meeting, Kisii Deputy Governor, Joash Maangi clarified that although education was a National government function, the county government was committed to reversing the declining standards. Maangi who represented Governor James Ongwae decried the few number of students joining public universities from the county saying it was indicative of how low the academic standards had plummeted.
HOMA BAY:
ASUMBI GIRLS LIVES UP TO ITS VISION
By Ken Otieno
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ince its establishment in 1936 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Saint Joseph in Homa Bay County, Asumbi Girls High School has lived up to its vision of being ‘the best performing girls school nationally’. The school has also actualised its mission of ‘providing a academic, spiritual and social environment that empowers learners to adapt to the dynamic society through quality teaching and maximum utilisation of resources for optimum acquisition and application of knowledge and skills’. According to the principal, Sr Anne Josephine Apiyo, they have been posting impressive results in KCSE over the years. Sr Apiyo noted that the school has produced women of substance who are serving the nation and the Diaspora in various capacities and sectors. The school has also scooped numerous awards over the years for its performance and retention of girls in class. This is due to the hard work by both teachers and students. Indeed, Asumbi Girls is an academic giant in Nyanza Region and the entire country. Its KCSE performance has been improving. Sr. Apiyo told Education Focus in an interview that the good performance is due to the dedication and support from all stakeholders. She added that the professionally qualified and dedicated teaches work as a team. The principal said Asumbi shall remain a centre for excellence, integrity and spiritual nourishment to better the lives of girls.
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Asumbi Girls High School administration block.
| County News EF By Correspondent
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istrict Education Officers (DEOs) have cited alcoholism, shortage of staff and child labour in coffee and tea estates in Kiambu as the factors affecting education in the county.
ALCOHOLISM BLAMED OVER POOR GRADES IN KIAMBU SCHOOLS
Speaking at the Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology during an evaluation exercise of last year’s KCPE results, the DEOs also attributed the poor show in education to lack of role models, proximity to Nairobi, early marriages, negative attitude towards education and shortage of staff at the education offices. Gatundu North DEO George Wachira said lack of Government transport also hinders education in his area. “The terrain in my area is very challenging yet we do not have a Government vehicle to enable us to visit different schools to check on the progress of education,” said Wachira. He said successful people from the area only visit during the Christmas season as they work and live outside the county, hence denying young learners role models. County Director of Education Boniface Gitau challenged the respective MPs to use their Constituency Delopment Funds and help buy vehicles for education officers in the area or lobby Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi to release funds for purchase of vehicles. Gitau however said alcohol and drug abuse was not unique to the county but a nationwide issue that should be used to justify poor results in education. The meeting was also attended by Kiambu Member of Parliament Jude Njomo and Woman Representative Ann Nyokabi.
POVERTY HINDERS EDUCATION IN MWINGI
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ne of the biggest challenges facing the larger Mwingi District school going children is poverty. At Tyaa Primary School in Mwingi Central, many children are from single parents. Out of 135 parents who are single, 80 per have never been married. Mrs Elizabeth Masila, a teacher in the school, says she was taken aback during an English lesson when she realised that only five children in a class of 30 had their fathers living with their mothers. The rest of the surnames were Mwende, Mumbe, Nguno, Mutanu, Jane and Kithumbas, all from single mothers. The school had 293 pupils - 145 boys and 148 girls respectively. About 98 per cent of the parents run small businesses and hence earn very little. According to the headmaster, Benson Mukanda, many of the parents are also HIV victims. Some pupils are also HIV positive. Mukanda said he knows of a grandmother who cares for 10 of her grand daughters, all schooling at Tyaa Primary School. The old woman struggles to raise them due lack of support from her daughters. She is not alone; many children live with
their grandmothers, many of them also single mothers or widows. “I lost one of my pupils last year. He was HIV positive and in standard six, I loved him very much. He used to stay with his aunt but would fall sick regularly. I had no option but to release him to go home for medication. What made me happy is that he was hard working and bright in class,” said Mrs Masila. She revealed that she had told his aunt to be giving the boy medication to carry to school. After resuming classes, the boy would do all the assignments his colleagues had done in his absence and take them to the teachers for marking. Despite having attended a quarter of the term, the boy would always emerge position five in class. Mrs Masila said two pupils, one in standard seven and the other standard eight, work after school to raise fees. They sell water to support their single mothers. Another one makes charcoal jikos to eke out a living. Nyamai Mueni, a 17-year-old standard eight pupil, says it is due to poverty that he decided to do manual work. His father died a long time ago living the seven children languishing in poverty. Nyamai
makes charcoal jikos which he sells at between Sh200 to Sh800.
Photo Credit: Courtesy
By Correspondent
Ms Gladys Wanjiru, 40. She has been sponsored by Murang’a County initiative for her secondary educatiion. She sat her KCPE in 1990 but could not proceed to high school due to lack of fees. EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF Feature | Article By: James Wainaina Photo Credit: Courtesy
HOW PEASANT BOY ESTABLISHED THE BIGGEST UNIVERSITY IN KENYA Recently, he was awarded a Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by Gulu University of Uganda for his exemplary contribution towards Science Education in the East African Region.
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e was born in a small rural village in Kiambu County in 1964 but today has established the biggest private university in Kenya. Simon Nyutu Gicharu has also won accolades for his contributions in promoting education in Kenya and East African region in general. The Mount Kenya University (MKU) founder and Board of Trustees Chairman has bagged numerous awards for his exemplary record in promoting education. Recently, he was awarded a Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by Gulu University of Uganda for his exemplary contribution towards Science Education in the East African Region. Dr Gicharu is also the national chairman of Rural Electrification Authority. He dedicated the award to his mother, Alice Wambui, researchers and innovators from higher institution of learning. Early life Dr Gicharu was born in a small rural village known as Gathiruini in Kiambu County, in 1964. He is the first in a family of six, born to the late Stephen Gicharu, and Alice Wambui. His early life experiences were the cauldron in which his successful characteristic traits were shaped. As a pupil at Kiawairia Primary School and later Gathiruini Secondary School, Gicharu had to walk many kilometres to and from school. His parents were peasant farmers and their small piece of land, which they tilled for subsistence, provided barely enough for their upkeep. To supplement the domestic income, Gicharu, alongside his siblings, picked coffee at large commercials farms. Gicharu was a diligent student and joined Murang’a High School for his O-Levels, now one of the top 10 national schools in Kenya. He was the captain in his final year. While in school, he etched a reputation for entrepreneurial acumen, and for assisting fellow students in Mathematics, a subject
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he was very good at. Gicharu obtained a Bachelor of Education Science (Honours) degree from Kenyatta University in 1990. His majors were Mathematics and Chemistry. Soon after graduation, he continued to exercise his passion for education, teaching his favourite Maths subject at various secondary schools in Kenya, and later at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and at the Thika Technical Training Institute. He would also author Kenya’s first post-secondary school book on Mathematics, “Applied Mathematics for Crafts Engineering.” Gicharu also married Jane Nyutu and were blessed with three children; two boys and one daughter. Self initiative In 1993, barely three years after graduation, Gicharu planted the germ seed that would sprout into a lifelong dedication of assisting young people. With only Sh20,000 he established the Kenya Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme, a non-governmental organisation that provided micro-loans and training in entrepreneurship. Spurred by his initiative, the British Council accorded him a scholarship to study entrepreneurship at Cranfield University in Britain in 1995. Going to Britain meant he had to leave his teaching job at Thika Technical Training Institute. But it also opened to him the realities of the suffering most African students endured while pursuing higher education abroad. Upon his return to Kenya six months later, he resolved to do something that would stop African students from this suffering. But he had no job, no means of income, and yet had a young family to support. This did not deter him and the Kenya Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme he had started earlier slowly developed into a small college operating from the backstreets of Thika town.
The college started by offering computer classes and later diversified into Management courses, under a new name Thika School of Management Studies. Gradually, Thika School of Management Studies increased its student enrolment and the number of courses. The type of courses it offered was determined by the job demands of the day and with the explosion in use of information science and technology, the Thika School of Management Studies changed its name to Thika Institute of Technology in 2003. That same year, Gicharu, resolved that Science training would be the backbone of Thika Institute of Technology. He made a trip to India, on scanty information that at Punjab State, they were assembling science equipment in cottage industries that was relatively affordable for institutions. Gicharu immediately purchased the equipment, paving way for Thika Institute of Technology to become the first private college in postindependence Kenya to be accredited to offer the Diploma programme in Pharmacy. Thika Institute of Technology also diversified its curriculum and started offering science degree programmes in partnership with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. In 2008, the Institute was awarded a Letter of Interim Authority by the Commission of Higher Education in Kenya to operate as an independent university under the name Mount Kenya University. With the
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The Mount Kenya University Library. establishment of Mount Kenya University, Gicharu inched closer to attaining his vision of assisting young people achieve their academic dreams. The university’s commitment in supporting science training was driven by the realisation that most of Africa’s socio-economic problems can only be solved through science. Driven by the incessant passion to improve access to education, provide infrastructure and a diversified curriculum, the university was granted a full Charter status in 2011. At the tender age of 46 years, Gicharu became the youngest Kenyan to have established a Chartered university. The only other indigenous Chartered university was started by former President Daniel Arap Moi. The Sh20,000 Kenya Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme has now become US$400 million Mount Kenya University, with 14 Campuses in Kenya, one in Rwanda and another in Somaliland. It employs over 3,000 people and has a student population of about 50,000. Throughout his life at the helm of Mount Kenya University, Gicharu has distinguished himself for his humility. Unlike his contemporaries who have wallowed in self-aggrandizement by awarding themselves honorary doctorates, Gicharu has often concentrated on supporting the growth of Mount Kenya University. While tribalism is rife at most universities, professionalism and merit are the single most determinant factors in recruitment, promotions and decision making at Mount Kenya University. The outcome of this wisdom is seen in the series of firsts that define Mount Kenya University. The University was the first private institution of higher learning in Kenya to break the threshold of 17,000 students; it was the first private university in Kenya to offer degree programmes in Pharmacy; it was the first to establish a Campus
in the remote Turkana County in the Northern frontier of Kenya; it was the first to establish a Campus in Kigali, Rwanda and Hargeisa, Somaliland. It was also the first private university in Kenya to build an anatomy laboratory at a public hospital. In 2009, Gicharu and Prof. Stanley Waudo, the Vice-Chancellor, both acting on behalf of Mount Kenya University, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Gulu University to boost
He is the Chairman of the National Association of Private Universities in Kenya, which advocates creation of a conducive environment for the growth of higher education in Kenya. science training. One of the outcomes of this MoU was the establishment and consequent accreditation of the Mount Kenya University School of Medicine. The School admitted its first batch of students last September. With the recent accreditation of the Nutrition and Dietetics programme by the Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute, Mount Kenya University now has the highest number of accredited Science programmes among private universities in Kenya. Gicharu is a recipient of the 1st Class Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS), the
highest award a civilian can get in Kenya. He was accorded the title in 2013, by the President in recognition of his contribution to the growth of tertiary education in Kenya. To cap the accolades that define his stellar managerial and leadership skills, Gicharu was appointed by the President as the Chairman of the Rural Electrification Authority Board of Directors in April, 2014. He is the Chairman of the National Association of Private Universities in Kenya, which advocates creation of a conducive environment for the growth of higher education in Kenya. He is a strong believer in philanthropy and in 2012, he established a Chairman’s Scholarship Fund at Mount Kenya University, which gives bursaries to bright students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Gicharu is the patron of the Mount Kenya University Enterprise Academy, which provides seed capital of up to US$500,000 to promising entrepreneurs who are alumni of the University. He is also the founder of Equip Africa Institute, a regional-wide executive training arm dedicated to building capacity and expertise among African professionals. Gicharu is a recipient of Marketing Society of Kenya’s Superlative Trailblazer award (2011) in recognition of being the only individual in Kenya to have started a university from scratch. In addition to being in the coveted league of Chartered universities, Mount Kenya University was recently admitted to the Association of Commonwealth Universities. It is also a member of the Interuniversity Council of East Africa. The University ranks among the top 10 universities in Kenya in both the Webometrics and 4ICU global rankings. Gicharu continues to inspire, encourage, give hope and shape the future lives of thousands of people. EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF Art | Article By: Mercy Ndirangu Photo Credit:: File
DIGITAL MIGRATION TO BRING GOOD TIDINGS FOR ARTISTES I look at acting as a business, previously, Kenyan actors had nothing to be proud of, a good example is the famous Mzee Kajwang group (Vitimbi) that acted for year without any meaningful economic gains, but the trend is changing with the introduction of more radio and television stations, migrating to digital will defiantly open more doors
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enyan artistes are now optimistic of a brighter future in the industry, thanks to digital migration and other modern communication initiatives by the government. The artistes can now produce world class movies if given the opportunity and support they require. African movie fans are now getting value they have desired and yearned for in decades, as prominent actors in the local Radio and Television Stations embark on aggressive production of local movies. Among them are actors in Tahidi High and other comedies. “I look at acting as a business, previously, Kenyan actors had nothing to be proud of, a good example is the famous Mzee Kajwang group (Vitimbi) that acted for year without any meaningful economic gains, but the trend is changing with the introduction of more radio and television stations, migrating to digital will defiantly open more doors,” says Benson Mwangi, who acts as Kiswahili and guidance and counselling teacher at Tahidi High, as teacher Meiposi. Born in Mathira in Nyeri County 43 years ago, teacher Meiposi says the industry is slowly converting to a lucrative business unlike in the past when it was done on part-time basis or just for fun, and encourages both young and old talented actors to take advantage of the goodwill of Kenyans who appreciate and watch African Movies. “The era when Kenyans only considered doctors, pilots and others as the only noble professionals is long gone. Acting is not only for young people, there are hundreds of
talented old people outside who lacked an opportunity to exhibit their potential, time for them has come, acting is becoming a lucrative industry,” says Meiposi. He realised he was talented in acting while in form three at Karima Boys High School in Othaya when he won the best actor’s award. After school, he went to Nairobi to work in a family business before joining Kenyatta University to work in the Department of Creative Writing. Later, he went to Mombasa to work with an NGO before joining Mombasa Technical Institute where he pursued a Diploma in Mass Communication. Between 2005 and 2006, Meiposi worked with Baraka Radio before getting back to Nairobi to join Radio Citizen as a Voice Talent on contract. He joined Tahidi High in 2007 and has acted in other movies including the Village Casanova. We must treat acting like a business venture, prosperity will come out of gifts and talents, everyone is aspiring to succeed and live on that. It’s time to identify as an artiste and forget the historical notions in Kenya and African countries that acting is not a job,” adds Meiposi. But getting a permanent job as an actor is still a challenge since most producers’ hire actors on contract basis. Production cost of a movie is also a major challenge and most producers rely on sponsors. “Local artistes have no one to support them; none of the banks has come up with packages in favour of artistes in this country despite the fact that it’s becoming a big industry and virgin land for talented artists. We are still not recognised as a force to reckon with, we never get recognition apart from at individual levels, we only get recognition when we die,” adds Meiposi. He believes in the industry and wants to be a writer. He is scouting for talents in rural areas and is convinced that his dream to transform and promote acting in the country will be achieved, no matter the challenges. “Kenya has very talented artistes; we can have our own Hollywood here, why not? Kenya has the best video shooting sites, yes; we can have world class movies produced from Kenya,” he says. In his motivational talks, Meiposi tells the youth to live and behave like an eagle. “Eagle is a bird that actually rules in the air. It knows it was created to excel, it knows its destiny and does not mix with other birds, it knows how to re-energise itself, if you take its egg and put it together with those of the chicken it will still hatch a chicken, grow and stay focused like a chicken but one day, it will realise no, I was not meant to be a chicken and move its way,” he says of the bird that is also a motivation to him and whatever he does. Like the eagle, Kenyan artistes must remain focused, take a deep look on themselves, see the potential, get to know they can make it and be determined to succeed is his advice to the artistes.
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| THE ENTREPRENUER EF Article By : Hildah Mutugi Photo Credit: :File
TEACHER LEAVES CLASSROOM FOR BEAUTY BUSINESS She ventured into the beauty products business in 2007 after completing her Bachelor of Education degree at Kenyatta University
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arely do teachers opt to leave the classroom to venture into the unpredictable world of business. With one assured of a salary every month, and job security, few teachers are brave enough to abandon the chalk for business. But for Esther Ngima, a trained teacher, she has opted to join the world of business not minding the challenges that lay ahead. Ngima, a Kenyatta University Bachelor of Education graduate is reaping big in the fashion, beauty and design related business. “There are very crucial basics that an entrepreneur must consider and understand that go with the trade before venturing into it,” she quips. ‘Thousands of upcoming young investors have had their businesses sink after stocking new expensive fashion without understanding the basic requirements, they finally end up with dead stock in their shop, which they sell at throw away price when new fashions hit the market,” says Ms Ngima, the proprietor of beauty and design products in Nyeri. She adds that “the basic reason people wear clothes is to cover their nakedness, but there are a lot of other factors to consider such as weather, colour, design, occasion, personal tastes and style.” Besides selling beauty products Ngima is also a poultry farmer. She raised the capital to invest in the boutique from farming. Ngima says she declined to be employed as a teacher due to amount of commitment the job requires and what she terms as poor pay and working conditions. She ventured into the beauty products business in 2007 after completing her Bachelor of Education degree at Kenyatta University. Since then, her customers have continued to increase, a factor she attributes to retaining them because of her unique services and friendly atmosphere. Ngima is a specialist in women suits for all occasions including wedding, interview for job seekers, general family clothing and shoes to match among other special target groups and Customers are very delicate; institutions. She imports her again, most potential buyers stock from Dubai, United Kingdom, will always avoid places Turkey and United where the proprietor is always States, among other countries.
engaging in arguments with customers. It’s very easy to lose tens of customers than it is to get one reliable customer
“Fashions don’t last long, it’s very dynamic, I’m therefore guided by a number of factors before shipping in any stock. I don’t purchase in bulky just because it’s a new fast moving fashion. My eyes are always open, I have ears everywhere and that how I ensure I am always among first dealers to import new fashions soon they are introduced in the market by designers and manufacturing companies,” she adds. But she has had a share of challenges, the major one being insecurity. She has had her shops broken into severally and in one occasion, a raid was done while she was in a maternity ward. The thugs had all the time to pack everything in her shop and get away. To her, competition is no challenge since all she needs to do is ensure she
Ms Esther Ngima in her shop.
understands her customer’s tastes and making the right move and decision at the right time. She says that she is motivated when customers revisit her shop to congratulate her for the quality of her clothes, and more so, when a job seeker passes an interview and comes back to tell her that the dressing mode created an impression during the interview. To capture every class of customers, she stocks diverse qualities of fashions in her shop and her staff do not discriminate. She hold occasional staff meetings to get their feedback, but most of the time she is out in the field, market places and other potential forums to study market trends, opinion from existing and potential target customers and general public on how they feel on the industry. “I have great taste for clothing, I feel motivated and appreciated when I see people smartly dressed in selections from my shops; it’s very nice to hear a customer complemented by a friend on the clothes she is wearing, I just listen and feel great as the admirer is introduced to me or directed to my shop,” adds the adventurer. When economic situation in the republic recover, Ms Ngima plans to open similar outlets within Nyeri and neighbouring counties. Out of profits from the fashions and design business, she has managed to invest in other areas including taxi business. The soft but outspoken mother of three says treating and addressing the customers with respect is also part of her weapon and marketing strategies. The other factor is honesty. She gives an example where customer pays a deposit for what she needs but the trader decides to sell the same product to another better paying customer. “Customers are very delicate; again, most potential buyers will always avoid places where the proprietor is always engaging in arguments with customers. It’s very easy to lose tens of customers than it is to get one reliable customer,” is her advice to other investors. Besides her customers, she attributes her success to moral support from her husband Daniel Muita who has stood by her at hour of need especially when her shops were broken into and goods worth thousands of shillings stolen by thugs. It was her lowest point in life and she nearly gave up. She points out that some ambitious women are sometimes let and pulled down by their husbands or persistent domestic quarrels which affect the business and the image of the family which is equally important in any investment. “My husband and our children are a great motivation to me and my business. When a business person opens in bad mood from home in the morning, she transfers the same to customers and employees, it impacts badly on the business and such a business has no future, I am really proud of my him and entire family for their understanding and support,” she quips.
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EF Overseas |
Article By: Elizabeth Munyao Photo Credit: File
HELPING KENYANS SECURE EDUCATION & JOBS IN AUSTRALIA
M
in an interview. Besides, he added, they ensure on landing in Australia a student is trained in Certificate III, Aged Care, which enables them to work in healthcare institutions as they study. This in turn means the student is able to supplement his or her parents fees.
“The prospects of JTI Diploma of Nursing holders getting jobs in Australia are high. A student can also apply for permanent residency once through with the course and the chances of getting the same are high. The fee charged at JTI is modest while we also organise accommodation for our students. Our students also work as they study,” he told Education Focus
But the Bachelor of Commerce graduate from the University of Nairobi has had his missteps in his quest to make a mark in the business world, which, however, did not kill his innate spirit to succeed. Njanja on landing in Australia in 2002 started an internet-based business by setting up a firm to help migrants make VOIP [Voiceover Internet Protocol] calls. However, the venture was later overrun by Bistelcos who drove him out of business. He, however, pursued a Masters’ degree in Applied Technology while in Australia before starting a construction firm called Baraka Builders. “We [Njanja and a co-founder] ran into cartels in the business and it became too hard. Then we decided to try something else,” he recalls.
ilton Njanja, a Kenyan residing in Australia has one message for Kenyans seeking quality education for their children: To try Australia. Njanja, 50, is the Executive Director of Job Training Institute (JTI) in Australia. The firm is headquartered in Melbourne and offers courses in community services and health – a sector with a massive skill shortage in Australia. The JTI Diploma of Nursing accords graduates high chances of getting employed in Australia and other parts of the world as it is recognised worldwide. Speaking to Education Focus, Njanja advised parents to invest in their children’s education noting that the investment (in education) is worth the sacrifice.
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EducationFOCUS February 2015
| Overseas EF With his wife Loice, they started JTI in 2008. This was preceded by a nursing agency in 2006 that serviced hospitals and old-age homes. “We noted that new arrival/migrants to Australia had a hard time getting employed. Mainly due to skills deficiency. So, we set up a nursing agency, as there was a lot of demand in hospitals and nursing homes,” Njanja says. Australia’s high life-expectancy rate, he adds, has seen many of its citizens living beyond 79 years on average. “We thought it would be a good avenue to place migrants as they come into the country [Australia].” However, even as job opportunities in the community and health sectors were in plenty, the couple realised that their business was being hampered by low skill levels, as most of the migrants seeking placement were not welltrained. This is what resulted in the Job Training Institute (JTI). Understandably, there were very few enrolments. With time though, Njanja noted that this was because of absence of government sponsorships. “Locals [Australians] will not come to your college without government funding. JTI secured government funding within the same year it was founded, enticing more students to enlist for training. “With the funding, the government pays the institution to train the students,” Njanja says. Some of the courses offered at JTI include Diploma of Nursing and Certificate III in community services. The institution prides itself in a job absorption rate of over 80 per cent in the Australian market.
If you take Diploma of Nursing, you are guaranteed a job. Better still, the Australian government will allow you to work as you study and you can find work easily,”
Many Kenyans and Africans have trained at JTI and have been assisted to secure nursing jobs in Australia, a feat Njanja is quite proud of, having had to struggle to get a footing in Australia when he first landed there in 2002. The Diploma of Nursing course only takes 18 months to complete. “If you take Diploma of Nursing, you have high prospects of a job. Better still, the Australian government will allow you to work as you study and you can find work easily,” explains Njanja. The Certificate III in Community Services six months and owing to a shortage in the skill, the Australian government allows immigrants to work while studying. The other advantage is that credits gained under this course can be factored into one’s diploma course, thus shortening the study period if a student wishes to pursue further training. “After you finish these courses you can apply for a permanent residency and prospects, the
skills are in high demand,” Njanja advises. Most of the Certificate III in Community Services holders, he says, earn an average pay of about Aus$25 (Sh1,789.25) per hour, while a diploma holder can get an average of Aus$35 (Sh3,578.50) an hour. A Nursing degree holder can get about Aus$50 (Sh3,578.50) hourly. Njanja notes that at JTI they ensure their students attend 80 per cent of their classes as well as undertake their 20 hours of employment per week which is allowed by the Australian Government. JTI, he adds, is now seeking for partnership with local institutions to offer some of their courses locally. Naomi Kiluti, a Kenyan who migrated to Australia more than a decade ago and works as a nurse, acknowledges that the profession is highly valued there. “I know JTI though I did not study there. It’s a reputable institution and very successful. It has helped many get nursing jobs here [Australia],” the psychiatric nurse at Victoria Clinic says. JTI’s reputation precedes it. Recently when Njanja was in Kenya to host some informative sessions for potential nursing students, he booked an event hall at KICC expecting about 200 attendees. The response was so overwhelming that more than 700 people turned up for the session. Since he had to return to Australia, he has appointed two agents in Nairobi – Graduate Jobs Limited and WIA East Africa and one Eldoret Visa info– to help interested students with placement.
Milton Njanja, Executive Director, Job Training Institute (JTI).
EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF CareerTips | Article By: Kennedy Buhere Photo Credit: Courtesy
The way to excel in English EducationFOCUS February 2015 36 36 EducationFOCUS February 2015
| News Feature EF
E
very year when the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) releases Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations results, the minister expresses concern that candidates can hardly write simple words correctly as others mixed up tenses. “The language ability is minimal even though some candidates were able to shape most of the letters well,” a section of the press observed when the 2014 KCPE results were released. I think our teachers can help pupils overcome this problem. While we attribute excessive TV and internet use to poor mastery of the English language, we should not stop there. We cannot expunge the TV and the internet from the lives of our children. Language experts argue that mature use of a language (any language) is an acquired skill. We acquire this skill majorly by listening to competent speakers of the language; we reinforce that skill by reading books written by competent writers in that particular language and by imitating or modeling our speech and writing habits based on the two. All that parents, teachers and other stakeholders should do is to expose excellent and appropriate reading materials to our learners. There is no royal path to excelling in English Language except through exposure to real excellent works of art. The works include novels, plays, poems and simple nonfiction works such as biographies, letters by accomplished writers and also newspaper articles. Teaching grammar can help a learner know correct usage of the language. But this is not enough to help the learner write a good composition.
read as class readers throughout the entire primary and secondary school cycle. We should not blame the learners for weak grasp of the nuances of the English and Kiswahili languages. We should blame the very tight school programmes in some schools that deny children a chance to explore the verdant literary heritage that is found in nonfiction works that the Ministry of Education, in conjunction with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has recommended in the Orange Book. We also have hundreds of extremely good books—in terms of excellence of language used and also in terms of the knowledge and values asserted—that our children can read for pleasure and improve mastery of language and Kiswahili languages. Intriguingly, some teachers, particularly maths and science teachers see novel reading as a waste of time and punish students found reading novels during class time regardless of the novel they are reading.
A student could be reading Chunua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart or George Orwell’s a Animal Farm but unless the books are set books, the teacher punishes the student, saying he/she is idling! Nothing can be more unfortunate! This is despite the fact that such a school Our children lack wants some of their students to qualify guidance. The adult for Medicine which actually require, with members of the its competitive nature that students score a minimum of A- for them to qualify for society—parents, the degree course. teachers, political
leaders and the clergy have a responsibility to children as far as reading the books of adventure, knowledge, skill and attitudes towards life is concerned.
Composition is all about organising one’s thoughts, feelings and experiences in words, sentences and paragraphs. It is about thinking in a logical or systematic manner around a certain idea or feeling. In his, College Writing, American writer and teacher of English language J. X. Kennedy argues that no one ever came to master the art of swimming through classroom lessons about swimming. A student of swimming must actually go into a river or a swimming pool to practice the art of swimming for him/ her to learn how to swim.
Acquaintance with the rules of grammar in the classrooms is similar to acquaintance with rules about swimming. Students should actually read as many story books-fiction and nonfiction for them to internalise the rules and be able to play with words to articulate their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Unfortunately, however, a critical majority of our learners sit for English language paper in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary examinations (KCSE) without having read any story book worthy reading save the literature texts they have read for the Literature part of the paper. School administrations must ensure that they outline— from grade to grade—the story books that learners should read within any given year. The Ministry of Education has recommended many books that should be
Reading books that are not part of the formal curriculum should be done as a way of relaxing when the mind cannot absorb anything the curriculum prescribes. And since the pace of concentration is different for many students, hours outside official schools hours should be left to students to devise their own timetable and study /read any book or text whether within or outside the prescribed curriculum so long as it is not pornography. Every book that a respectable publisher has published— except for books that reinforce values and behaviour that is not part of our culture has capacity not only to teach a learner something, but helps to strengthen their mastery of English or any language. There is nothing particularly wrong with watching TV or using internet or social media. The devil lies in TV and social media being the only medium through which children access information. Children must be assisted to appreciate that there are multiple sources of information, education and communication. Our children lack guidance. The adult members of the society—parents, teachers, political leaders and the clergy have a responsibility to children as far as reading the books of adventure, knowledge, skill and attitudes towards life is concerned. Children in remote parts of this country who are not exposed to the TV and the internet face similar challenges in interacting with English. And the causes for this inability are similar: lack of exposure to accomplished writers/speakers of the English language. EducationFOCUS January 2015 37 EducationFOCUS January 2015 37
EF Career Tips | Article By: Sandra Podesta & Andrea Paxton Photo Credit: Courtesy
ESSENTIAL GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING SUCCESSFUL JOB SEARCH IN TODAY’S CHALLENGING
NEW WORLD
DEVELOP A 6-MONTH PLAN
I
n today’s challenging job market, many job hunters are finding that the search takes somewhat more time than it did in the past. Regardless of what expectations you may have or may hear, assume a time frame of at least 6 months for your search. Then, set consistent and realistic daily objectives,ones you can sustain throughout that period. Chances are, you’ll find that your job search is less like a sprint and more like a marathon. Don’t expect to reach the finish line in a day. Insted, expect to reach for and achieve daily goals,such as networking with 5 contacts per day or 10 new contacts per week. Without this attitude, you’ll view every day as a laborious burden that does not produce results. You’ll risk losing focus, motivation, and direction. You’ll neither write nor interview well, and your search may take even longer.
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ASSESS YOUR SKILLS Identifying your unique skills, strengths, and traits can be difficult. It’s not difficult because you don’t
EducationFOCUS February 2015
possess any, but because so often we take our own capabilities for granted. So spend some time considering your skills or ask a friend or colleague to help you. Jot them down from the most simple (“I can use a computer.”) to the more complex (“I am an expert in Microsoft Access, PowerPoint, and Publisher.”)
2
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
You can’t start soon enough or do too much networking. You’re planning your future, after all, so take charge! Begin by listing all the people to whom you can talk. Not only have those who may have the job had you wanted. Anyone and everyone can spread the word that you are or will be searching for a new position. Whether it’s passing along your resume, providing a referral or simply keeping you in mind should an opportunity arise to mention your name, there’s something for everyone to do! As soon as you know you’ll be looking, draft your list. Begin with the names of friends and family. To that, add current work contacts, previous
employers, co-workers, fellow alumni, and so on. Always carry index cards for jotting down names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of those who are willing to offer assistance, you never know whom you’ll meet so be prepared. Print up “business cards” to distribute at opportune moments; these should provide your name, e-mail address, address, and phone number(s) along with a very brief description of the type of position you seek. Seize every opportunity to network, including holidays, conventions, weddings, and reunions when you’re likely to encounter people you don’t see regularly.
3
FOLLOW UP RIGOROUSLY
In any job hunting environment, but especially in a tough one, following up after an interview is imperative. It’s a safe bet that most people don’t write after an interview, and if they do, they dash off predictable, trite letters that do nothing to remind the interviewer how singularly qualified they are for the positions they desire.
| Career Tips EF
3
EXPECT TO BE CHECKED ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Background checks are now conducted with greater regularity and greater scrutiny. Today we post things on facebook, twitter, Instagram and other social sites thinking that it is just for fun. Organisations today use social media to determine your character, so before you post that half naked photo or dirty story about what happened last night, think twice! Also of importance is how you package yourself on social media. If even the names you use on your facebook page or twitter account cannot be easily found because you are using a different name, then you can be sure hundreds of opportunities are passing you by. If you go by the name Mary Johnson let that be your brand and don’t change it.
4
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY
The Internet and the World Wide Web offer astonishing benefits to job hunters. Be certain to avail yourself of these new technologies. Whether you’re new to the Web or a skilled user, take time to master the Internet as a job search tool. An important part of your search involves identifying organizations that might be hiring.
making cold calls or attempting to secure Face-to-face meetings with busy executives is not at the top of most of our lists of thrilling activities.
will receive your letter exactly as you’ve created it providing that he or she has the same word processing programme that you do.
But now that it is perfectly acceptable, in fact, even preferable, to compose and send brief e-mail notes, networking has become far, far easier. In most situations, you can confidently use e-mail to stay in touch, check in periodically, send articles or relevant news items, and even gently prod someone into action on your behalf. Every few weeks, you can e-mail those in your network base to remind them that you’re still looking and what your areas of interest are. Should you change or narrow your focus, you can quickly update your career “fan club” about this important information.
All of the letters in this book (that are presented as traditional letters rather than e-mail) can be downloaded, customized, saved in your own word processing programme, attached, and sent successfully to anyone who uses the same program that you do.
When surfing the Internet’s many job search Web sites, you’ll find plenty of advice on using e-mail effectively in the job search. Here are a few key points and potential pitfalls relating to job hunting letters of which you’ll want to be aware:
6
OPTION #1: LETTERS AS ATTACHMENTS
You may send your cover letter as an attachment, rather than, or in addition to, inserting it in the body of the e-mail. In this case, you can send it in the format in which you created it; your recipient
However, if your recipient does not use the same programme, either he or she will not be able to open your letter or the formatting will be altered, and your letter may not look as professional as you’d like.
7
TO CREATE YOUR DOCUMENT USE THESE TIPS:
• Use a consistent font size (12). • Use only bold to highlight but avoid italic, underlining, columns, long dashes, or other unusual characters. • Indent using the spacebar instead of the tab key. • Tell the reader, in the body of your message, the format of your attachment. Once you’ve completed drafting your letter, save the document as “Text Only or better yet PDF”
The Internet makes this easier than it’s ever been before. You’ll find dozens of job hunting sites on the Web. If you’re not certain where to start, visit any search engine and enter the word “jobs” or “career.” You’ll find links that will transport you to hundreds of valuable resources. Choose one job hunting Web site and practice navigating through it. Do the same with the Web site of an organization for which you’d like to work. Visit its home page and career centers. Become familiar with the firm, the types of openings it is attempting to fill, and the qualifications it seeks in the ideal candidate for those positions. Also look for Web sites hosted by associations that exist within your industry or speciality, or your alma mater; frequently, such sites maintain a job bank and referral network or offer training. The Internet is an amazing source of information, career advice and assistance, company Web sites, job postings, and sometimes, total confusion. It’s worth your time up-front to master this vital tool so that you can use it to your benefit.
5
LEARN HOW TO USE E-MAIL
If you don’t know how to use e-mail, do whatever you must to learn. Not only has it become ubiquitous in the workplace, e-mail delivers advantages that can prove pivotal to your job search. For starters, EducationFOCUS January 2015
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| Career Tips EF
6 1
BASIC DO’S AND DON’TS FOR WRITING KILLER COVER LETTERS
DRESS (YOUR LETTERS) FOR SUCCESS
Do send professional letters. Don’t send form letters. Do make your letters clean and professional looking. Even so much as an ink blot is clearly an insult to the reader. It implies that the reader is not worth the time it would take to retype the letter. Worse, it suggests that you are a sloppy person who doesn’t value order, personally or in the workplace. Recruiters spend a good deal of time advising job hunters how to dress for an interview because employers demand clean, orderly staff members with professional demeanours. Your letter should reflect these characteristics.
2
Make your letter different from your CV.
If your CV is strong, it will provide all the information your interviewer will need. If it’s not, there are plenty of books, software programs, and professional resume writers to help you strengthen it. So don’t just regurgitate your CV in letter form. “Zoom in” on the most salient points of your resume. Even better, consolidate facts in your resume into an overview statement. Summarize a benefit such as “solid employment record,” “extensive industry experience,” or “proven track record.” Guide your reader in forming an appropriate impression of you.
3
Don’t use standard openings.
Many people think that only one type of letter is acceptable in the business world: one that follows a standard outline. In truth, the only type of letter acceptable in the business world is an effective one. An effective letter accomplishes your objective, which in the case of job hunting letters, means to stand out from your competition. With this goal in mind, why send a letter likely to mirror the letters of those against whom you’re competing?
“KISS” YOUR LETTERS (KEEP IT SIMPLY STATED)
4
Do write a person, not a letter.
There are also many people who believe that making a letter sound businesslike means using stuffy, stilted language full of cliches and jargon. Certainly, your letter should be professional. However, it must also be interesting, appealing, and reflect your personality. To create a letter appropriate to the business world, include relevant facts and succinct language. Ensure correct spelling and proper presentation. To make your letter appealing, use the same tone of voice you would use during the interview, when you don’t have time to consult a thesaurus and replace the words you normally use with multisyllabic synonyms. Write with the attitude that you’re writing to a person. That person may be your interviewer, your next boss, a human resources executive,
or a recruiter—but a person.
5
ELIM-ME-NATE
Do focus on the needs of your prospective employer. What do you talk about in your resume? Me. Me. Me. Me. What do you talk about in your interview? Me. Me. Me. Me. So use your letter to address the needs of your next employer. Focus your thoughts on the needs of your next boss. After all, your prospective employer expects you to meet her needs on a daily basis. Why should she care what your employment objective is or what you’re looking for in a job? She will hire you and pay you for the specific contribution you will make to increasing profits, improving Performance, or enhancing productivity. In the letter, tell her how you’ll accomplish this. Successful job hunters create letters that link their strengths and talents to the benefits they bring to the firm, department, team, or supervisor with whom they’ll be working.
6
APPEALING IS REVEALING Do make your letter easy to read.
The visual appearance of a letter is as vital as its content, maybe even more so. Because if you’re lucky, your reader will devote 30 seconds to your letter before turning to the next one in the pile. Make it easy to skim. EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF Jobs |
ENTRY LEVEL VACANCIES MINIMUM EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Personal Assistant SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER - PRINT AND PACKAGING (1 Position)
• Higher Diploma in Human Resource
Industrial Park,
• Full secretarial course and Microsoft office Mombasa Road, PO Box 18092 • 3 years experience in a similar position • Holds a degree or diploma in Sales or Marketing. • 3 years relevant experience in a similar position
HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICER (2 Positions)
• Review and recommend hr policy initiatives that ensure the Company maintains best hr practises
• Higher Diploma in Human Resource • 3 years in similar a position
PROPERTY MANAGER
Responsible for overseeing and maintenance of allocated properties
KCSE 3 years in similar position
EXECUTIVE DRIVER (4 Positions)
42
• Handling of correspondence and maintaining the resource library
Driving company executives to and from destinations in a comfortable, safe and efficient manner while ensuring the vehicle is maintained in a good working condition.
1
If you know of any hardworking young guys looking for entry level jobs within the business side of banking, tell them to send their CVs asap to Eva.Mwangi@gtbank.com. They need to have a degree and some financial analysis knowledge.
2
If you know of any graduate looking for a banking job like tellers, customer service officer , personal banking officer or micro banker, please ask them to immediately drop their CVs at the nearest Jamii Bora Bank or send them in soft copies to francis.ngunjiri@jamiiborabank.co.ke.
3
Those who may want internship in finance for 3 months at CFC STANBIC, tell them to send their CVs to wangui.ndirangu@stanbic.com and also copy breneen.maloba@stanbic.com
4
Do you need a job as administrative assistant in town? Must have good communication skills. Send your CV to pthatiah@gmail.com
EducationFOCUS February 2015
KCSE ,Clean driving license and Certificate of good conduct 4 years in similar position
-00500, Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: +254-739-80-8080, +254-20-205-4139 Email: info@ramco. co.ke www.ramco-group. com
| Jobs EF
HOW TO IDENTIFY AND SELL YOUR STRENGTHS AFTER YOU GRADUATE
W
hatever industry you represent, field you’re in, or expertise you possess, when you’re looking for a job, you’re in sales and marketing. You’re selling a product: you.
•You identify the target market: potential employers.
•You price the product: a realistic salary range.
•You position the product: draft a resume and cover letter.
cat food, club memberships, and retractable swimming pool covers. Thus, the majority of the letters you’ll write in the course of finding your job will contain self-promotion. In your Ad Response and Resume Cover Letters you will trumpet your talents. After an interview, a Follow-Up Letter will once again reaffirm your excellent qualifications. If the hiring process seems to be idling, you’ll rev that engine with a reminder of your unique talents. And undoubtedly, if you attempt to negotiate salary in writing, your special skills will be of vital importance.
You test your positioning with the target market: answering several ads.If your efforts result in interviews, you’ve probably done some decent marketing. If not, you’ll need to reassess your product, market, pricing, or positioning, and try again. This is precisely the process that marketing executives follow to sell laundry detergent, pickup trucks, gourmet
Since self-promotion is an area in which recruiters have found most people either underwhelming or overwhelming, it pays to learn how to boast. It is possible to be modest, yet effective. The trick is to avoid speaking solely of your own merits in every line. Instead, link your talents to the concerns of the recruiter, employer, or firm. Think of your qualifications not as merely a feature of your candidacy, but as a benefit to your next boss.
SAMPLE COVER LETTERS FOR ENTRY LEVEL SALES POSITION ( EDIT FOR THE POSITION YOU ARE APPLYING FOR )
1 To the Hr Manager Company Name P.O. Box xxxxxx Nairobi,Kenya
Dear Sir/Madam The background and experience I can offer in reply to your ad for an entry-level position in sales may prove ideal for your needs. Allow me to introduce myself and my qualifications. This June, I will receive my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from State University. In addition to my rigorous course study, I participated in several extracurricular activities that provided me with the kind of hands-on experience that is so vital to being a successful sales representative. As Rush Chairman for my fraternity, I planned and directed a major program to introduce the strengths that our product delivered, and promote them in a market ripe with competition. Through these efforts,we have enjoyed an increase in membership of 20% over the past three years. I further developed and managed a program to raise funds for our non-affiliated charity, the Brothers of Hope. Targeting fraternity members, students at large, faculty, and the community, the program generated contributions that exceeded previous years’ totals by 77%. To achieve these goals, I combined an ability to plan,to visualize solutions creatively, and to implement them successfully with my talent in dealing with people. These are the same characteristics I would bring to an organization such as yours. Please consider me a serious candidate for your sales position. I will be happy to visit your offices for an interview. Sincerely, sign xxxxxxxxx
2 To The Hr Manager P.O. Box XXXXXX Company Name Naiobi, Kenya
Dear Sir/Madam To maintain continued growth, a company must have financial and management professionals who are capable of identifying and seizing market opportunities before the competition does. My marketing savvy and management expertise can help you do just that. I possess a powerful commitment to task, a drive for excellence, and the ability to respond to customer needs. For example, in my current position: I increased sales 74% by upgrading service efficiency, resulting in a 25% annual increase in profitability. I streamlined a branch outlet from inception, coordinating every aspect from recruitment to organizing and redefining office functions, thus achieving substantial cost reductions, greater efficiency, and increased market share. I reduced receivables from 115 days to 33 days, thereby improving cash flow 21%. This released enough working capital to enable the firm to expand into other markets. These achievements are certain to prove both valuable in and transferable to a range of firms. Because I am currently seeking to broaden my horizons, I eagerly await your reply for an invitation to an interview. I am sure I will be able to discuss in greater detail how my particular blend of capabilities, experience, and managerial strengths can help your firm capture lucrative business opportunities. Sincerely, sign xxxxxxxxx
EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF Fashion&Lifestyle | Article Photo Credit: Jaguar PS
LUPITA
NYONG’O Born: March 1, 1983 (age 31), Mexico City, Mexico Height: 5’ 5” (1.65 m) Nationality: Mexican, Kenyan Parents: Dorothy Nyong’o, Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o Awards: Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, More Sources: Google
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EducationFOCUS February 2015
| Fashion&Lifestyle EF
LEARNING INSTITUTIONS IN KENYA EMBRACEFASHION
F
SHOWS
ashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening” and it is up to us to use it to bring out the best in ourselves and in the human race,” These are the words of Ms Vallary Achieng, the organizer of Egerton University fashion Gala in October 2014.
This is a shame! This is because they were not the best to represent Kenya but were chosen on wrong criteria of who do you know or won through bribery. This makes model to achieve less in their reign thus the far most of us models reach is to do TV commercials or Billboard that is not well paying.
It has been any Franchise holder’s vision to make beauty pageantry a celebration of true Kenyan beauty in a positive respectable way and to use beauty as a tool to market our culture and our beautiful country. The most hotly contested categories in our country are: Mr. and Miss World, Miss Global International, Miss Tourism World, Miss Teen World, Mr. and Miss Universities International, Nokia face of Africa, Miss Earth, Miss Provinces and Towns in Kenya, and many more other titles.
The owners of this franchise have let the modeling industry loose meaning in Kenya especially to young girls who have such dreams in future. Kenya has come of age when it comes to fashion. The trends seen on the streets today were unheard of ten years ago. With the fashion world changing daily, we have had to try and catch up with the rest of the world, and this includes the fashion trend-setters who are mostly found in Nairobi. Designers are coming up at every corner in the city, all hoping that their designs will catch the eye of a big shot in the fashion industry, hence finding themselves on the glossy pages of our fashion magazines, and thus guaranteeing themselves higher sales.
Mr. and Miss World beauty pageant is the oldest and the most widely recognised pageant in the world in its 57th year. It is the oldest and most widely recognised pageant that enjoys a massive television audience with more than three billion viewers in over 100 countries being second to the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics in international participation. Age eligibility is: 17 – 24 years. Miss Global International (formerly Miss Commonwealth) pageant supported by the Jamaican Tourist Board was first held in 2004. The pageant celebrates women of origin from the 53 Commonwealth countries. Age eligibility is 17 – 27 years. Miss Tourism World is a pageant that promotes the beautiful Culture and Tourism Industry as a whole Worldwide. Age eligibility is 17 – 27 years. Miss Teen World is a celebration of teenagers who come together to show how they contribute to the world. It’s open to young women who have a passion to excel, and display their culture, fashion, country and their way of life. Age eligibility is 14 – 19 years. Mr. and Miss University pageant is a celebration of University students who come together to show how they can use their wits education and skills as young to contribute to the development of their country. It has no age eligibility. The other titles of pageant are mostly emulation of the above five. They are a base of the above. However mjodeling is a general term for fashion shows, beauty pageants and catwalk. It’s defined as modeling because the participants are models thus the word modeling. A model is someone with unique and distinct features that is admired by the rest. One interesting aspect notable in the search for these crowns is that the crowns are never won fairly and that’s why Kenyan models don’t live to accomplish what the title entails and to move on to be big shot in the world. The only models who have done modeling and Kenya proud are the ones who have been chosen by International contests like Nokia Face of Africa or Ford Foundation. These models have never let Kenya down and are well established. They grace international runways, magazines and give back to the society: these are the likes of Ajuma Nasenya and Tess Njuhi. To expound on this, there is no Miss World Kenya, Miss Tourism or Miss Earth that has ever made it to top 10 models in international pageants.
One may have a good piece of garment, but if accessorized wrongly, or if put on the wrong body type, may prove disastrous, thus defeating the purpose for which it was designed for. This is where the model scouts come in. These are the people who walk around in major towns looking for ladies who can work the runway with ease, who have the right body type and posture, and also possess the smile that would sell the product for which they are marketing. They also scout for talented designers whose talent is yet to be discovered and experienced. Fashion show as you all know is till part of modeling. This is a celebration that models showcase clothes, ornaments and jeweleries from different culture. It’s the most highly participated by models because it’s well paying. All models participating end up getting a reward for participation. The organisers normally pay the models per show and this keeps the model moving. Compared to beauty pageant, fashion show is fair and worth the efforts. This is because when you participate in beauty pageant you spend so much money and effort but in the long run it’s only the winner who gets the prize and the rest gain nothing. Fashion show being the most favourite for models; it contributes a little to the country’s economy because it’s one of the ways that Kenya’s models earn income alongside the shooting of TV commercials and Billboards. As appealing as the modeling world sounds, most parents do not like their children getting into this as a career, rather, most parents encourage their children to study for courses which they will know for sure will land them a job in reputable firms, and to model part time. This is because they believe that since modeling takes their children to different parts of the globe, chances of them engaging in promiscuity are high. Editor’s note: If your institution is hosting or participating in a beauty pageant, contact us to cover the event. You can also send pictures of the event. They will be published free of charge.
EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF Health | Article by: Mercy Ndirangu Photo Credit: File
WHY COMPUTER GAMES ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOUR CHILD
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f you’ve ever tried to wrangle a child from his favourite game console before and lost, fret not as many parents are facing the same frustrations. Gaming sessions can go on for hours if not kept properly in check. Staying indoors and staying stationary have become a way of life for most youngsters who are used to these modern forms of multimedia entertainment. As parents, you need to stay ahead of the game. Kids nowadays have a wide array of games at their fingertips. Your role is to make sure that you play a part in picking games that can keep them entertained and active at the same time A recent study conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) investigated the link between physical activity in children and academic performance in school. Initially, researchers predicted that kids who took physical education (PE) during the school day would do better academically, since it helps reduce boredom and helps kids stay focused. The study, reported in ACSM’s official journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, examined 214 children of middle school age. All students were randomly assigned to a PE class in either the first or second semester of the school year. Researchers collected information on each student’s activity level in and outside of the PE class, and compared
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their level of activity to their grades in the subjects of math, science, world studies and English. Surprisingly, researchers found that being enrolled in PE (moderate activity for 30 minutes, 5 days per week) did not influence the children’s grades. The government’s Healthy People 2010 guidelines recommend vigorous activity for 20 minutes, at least 3 days per week. This study showed that the more active children were, such as participating in a sport or other vigorous activity, the better they did in school. Most of the children who did exercise “vigorously” did so outside of school, by playing sports like soccer, basketball, football, baseball and softball. These ACSM researchers recommend that physical education classes include more vigorous activities for kids. Other research also shows that active children do better in school, are better able to concentrate, and even exhibit fewer behavior problems. If your child’s school isn’t requiring enough physical activity, encourage your child to participate in a school or club sport that she enjoys. Team sports teach kids more than fitness; they improve motor skills, increase self-esteem, and foster cooperation and teamwork. Even non-athletic children can meet physical activity recommendations with non-competitive activities such as biking, swimming and jogging and by dancing or playing games like tag.
INTRODUCING JESMA PRINTING PRESS LTD It is a modern heavy commercial printing facility in Nairobi located along Mombasa Road behind Airtel offices. We have successfully set, moderated, printed, packed and delivered high standard coloured exams to many zones, subcounties and counties. This include Uasin Gishu, Meru, Vihiga etc. We also prepare results analysis booklets for each school in the county. With a seasoned panel of professional examiners, we guarantee quality papers both in primary and secondary schools with accurate prediction and semblance to national exam. Our packing is tamper proof and meet the deadlines set by our customers. For more inquiries please call 0775-242-042 Email: jesmaprintingpress@gmail.com
EducationFOCUS January 2015
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EF TECH | Article By: Mercy Ndirangu Photo Credit: File
WHAT WILL DRIVE TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN KENYAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
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n online environments especially, students and professors are generating a large amount of learning-related data that could inform decisions and the learning process, but work remains on structuring appropriate policies to protect student privacy,” this is according to the NMC Horizon Report done in 2014 on Higher Education Edition. It also states that an increasing number of universities are formalizing policies regarding the gathering and use of data in making instructional decisions. This shift in attitude, documented by the U.S. Department of Education’s report Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Educational Data Mining and Learning Analytics, has the potential to improve services across the university landscape. The basis of the development in educational technology is the possibility of improving the efficiency. Appropriate application of educational technology contributes tremendously to the improvement and enhancing of effective teaching and learning. It would therefore be in order to note that there is much in education and training which could be improved by thinking more carefully about various aspects of educational technology in teacher education. Technology is becoming an important part of education and teachers are seen as a critical link in developing technology literacy among students (Phelps, 2002). This literacy can only be achieved if the teachers themselves possess it; one cannot give what one does not have. The expansion of information and communication technology presents educators of teachers with new issues and challenges, two of which are educating teachers to use technology in educationally effective ways, including teaching them about the technology, and incorporating technology with the delivery of teacher education. According to a research article on ‘an evaluation of educational technology use in teacher education in Kenyan Universities’ by Marcella Mwaka and Patrick A.Kafu,
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states that Lecturers’ attitude towards educational technology affects their Instructional use of the technology and likelihood of profiting from any related training and thus can be concluded that lecturers consider Educational technology to play a major role in teacher preparation. The statistics show a Favorable use of printed texts, chalkboard, internet, and whiteboard. The study shows a dependence on printed texts, chalkboard, whiteboard, and internet by lecturers, while use of other technologies was found to be low in terms of use. The frequency of use of educational technology in teacher preparation did not mean that the technologies used were effectively used in preparing students for technology use in their work environment. The study found that there was a significant difference between frequency of use and effectiveness of use of listed educational technologies. The implication here was that lecturers used a variety of educational technologies at preparation level, meaning the technologies were ‘effectively used’ in as far as they enabled the lecturers prepare their lectures. This implied that the students would be taught ‘of technology’ and not ‘with technology’, a scenario that would result in inappropriate preparation to meet the educational technology challenges of their work environment. Cuban (2001) and Zhao and Frank (2003) say that concerns over slow adoption of technology by lecturers are not new; nine years down the line, the same case holds for Kenyan universities. The study also found that private universities adopted educational technology faster than public universities. This finding could be attributed to large numbers of students admitted in the public universities and the associated cost of acquiring enough equipment, as well as the commitment of the universities to offer training that adequately prepares the graduate teachers for their work environment (Consultation of Experts on Future Trends and Challenges of Higher Education in Africa. 1992). But the size of the classes and the quality of training desired for the graduate teachers should be the driving force for the university to acquire enough technologies to facilitate teaching and learning in teacher education. The positive attitude lecturers have towards educational technology,
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CONTACT US ON: 020 2218652, 0773 906 326 info@prmasters.co.ke
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