Background.
Broadly speaking, Kenyan schools operate for 39 weeks each year with the school year beginning in January. There are three terms: roughly speaking, mid-January to mid-March, mid-April to end of July, September to mid–December. Many schools have either a religious or charitable affiliation.
The education system is divided into:
Pre-Primary or Nursery schools
Primary schools
Secondary / High schools
College / University.
Although the government provides a detailed framework for Pre-Primary (Nursery) schools, these are usually private, fee-paying establishments for the under-7’s which operate, throughout the year, from 8am until 12 midday.
The mission is to provide a link between the (many) local mother-tongues, the “national” language (Kiswahili) and English (the language of all educational establishments from mid-Primary upwards). They also aim to improve health and hygiene within the community.
They are often on the same site as Primary schools and staffed by qualified teachers or University graduates (always female) with young children of their own. Split into two streams (by age and/or ability), recommended staffing levels are 1 teacher to 40 children!
Children are expected to wear, at least, some item of uniform and the older ones have daily “homework”.
Accommodation and resources are very limited, and subject to few (if any) inspections or regulations. They are often provided by the teacher herself, volunteers, parents or the local community. These schools rely heavily on international aid and charity.
Primary schools are predominantly day-schools, made up of eight forms – often with more than one stream per form. Forms 1 to 3 are Lower Primary; Forms 4 to 8 are preparation for the national Certificate of Primary Education, results of which determine a child’s eligibility in Secondary education.
A child can enter Primary school any time after they are 7 and proceed upwards depending on internal exam results. Progress is NOT age-related so a form can, theoretically at least, contain children aged 7 up to about 15!
The Lower Primary lessons are conducted in a mixture of Kiswahili and English; the upper ones, purely in English.
Hours are long and discipline is strict. “Revision” may begin at 7am; there is a short, mid-morning break, then (ideally) lunch at 12 midday. After lunch, the Lower children return to their homes whilst the Upper ones continue study until 4pm.
Currently, the government has made Primary
education in
Students must buy (and wear) full uniform, also provide their own equipment. In addition, in many areas, wages for the lunchtime cook, and firewood, must also be supplied. The salaries of staff (on a ratio of about 30 students to 1 teacher) are provided by the government who also arrange for food, using the World Food Programme. Unfortunately, due to the increased demand on this organisation, the supply of food has become unreliable and many children have to return home for lunch (in view of the distances concerned, a considerable disruption to the school day), or go without.
Theoretically, accommodation and resources are also funded by the government, on the basis of annual reports and submissions. However, response is both unreliable and unscheduled leaving most schools heavily dependent on their Board (of governors and sponsors), parents and others within the local community, volunteers and international aid.
As children prepare for their Form 8 exam, staff from a variety of different types of Secondary school visit the Primary and offer places, dependent on results. Currently, there are insufficient places for all successful students so many eligible children are unable to proceed beyond primary education.
Secondary, or High School, education includes a vast range of establishments offering a wide spectrum of vocational and academic routes. All have a four form structure, with streams within the forms. Most secondary students board (sometimes staying on during the holidays) although the schools regularly take day pupils as well. Again, progress is entirely by examination results; the national Certificate of Education, taken at the end of Form 4, provides entrance to whatever college or university is considered appropriate. All lessons (except Kiswahili) are conducted in English.
Again, hours are very long. We heard of one school that began “prep” at 4.30am though after breakfast (about 7am) is more normal! Formal lessons start around 8am and continue until about 4.30pm.Short mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks are held, with lunch provided at 12 midday. Some time for “personal duties” is incorporated into the day which, after supper at 6pm, reverts to “prep” until 9pm with “lights out” shortly afterwards.
Partly as a perceived need to maintain control in a situation where members of staff are often only slightly older than some students and because the widespread belief is that success is only achieved through suffering, feedback and discipline are harsh (but expected). Few carrots are offered but many sticks! Failure to pass (reach half marks) in any test can qualify a student for caning, as can failure to reach expected goals.
Learning (11-12 subjects) is strictly controlled by a government framework and largely restricted to recommended textbooks (one book between 7-8 students is considered quite adequate). There is little time and, generally, resource, to provide practical experience or to check for true understanding. This is a situation where a teacher:student ratio of 1:20 is recommended but at least double that is more normal.
Secondary education in
Anyone can set up a school but failure to complete the long, complex and expensive registration procedure (involving many inspections by health, building and education departments) can result in immediate closure. It helps if you have experienced assistance – or friends in high places – and increases the need for parents to be wary when applying for places for their children.
HEARTBEAT
Contact: Bishop Dickson, Heartbeat
Children’s Home, P. O. Box 155 Ng’ambwa, Taita Hills.
Tel: +254(0)712574630 / +254(0)202354268
Email: opiayo2004@yahoo.com
NURSERY & HIGH SCHOOL
The nursery was founded by Bishop Dickson,
about 3 years ago, we were told. Its mission was to integrate the needs of the
local community with those of the orphans he had taken into his own home – to
provide a good start for all children, whatever their circumstances, in this
rural area of
International agencies helped the local community to construct and provide the initial premises, utilities and furniture. Day-to-day running and provision of resources is mainly covered by volunteers (national, international and from within the community). The nominal charge paid by the parents/guardians that can afford it is subsidised, by Bishop Dickson and his Church, to provide a wage sufficient to attract a quality teacher.
There are currently about 20 children attending the nursery daily, supervised by one teacher. The nursery meets in a single room. The original whitewash decoration on brick walls is deteriorating fast, as is the blackboard. Pot holes have appeared in the beaten earth floor whilst the bars at the open windows (provided together with lockable doors to increase security) are unsafe and insecure. The building is roofed with corrugated iron and unlined, making it very hot. Despite repairs, many of the initial tables, chairs and benches have to be carefully balanced to be usable.
Until recently, water was piped to the site. Unfortunately, due to local issues, water now often has to be collected from a stand-pipe, approximately 2 miles away, on a daily basis - storage facilities are inadequate. Toilets, together with hand-washing facilities as hygienic as possible, are close at hand. Lessons often take place against the background of a diesel generator which has to be situated in the same room to provide the only source of electricity for the whole site.
There are very few resources – much use is made of oddments (sticks, stones, bottle tops etc.) that they and others have collected – often what we might consider rubbish! Packaging is carefully kept and used in the “shop”. Some support materials are handmade or sewn from basics (such as cement sacks) by the teacher, volunteers and parents; others have been donated by charities or tourists. All suffer considerably and often cannot be used quickly or effectively since there is no storage facility.
Compared to
The children are mostly extremely cheerful and relatively healthy and chiefly learn by repetition, through stories, songs and prayers. Considerable effort is made to keep them in touch with their local culture and traditions whilst making them aware (and, hopefully, understanding) of others. They happily help each other and often control situations by themselves in a very mature way.
Visitors with white skin and straight, fair (or white) hair are rare in that area, so objects of great interest and, at times, hilarity. Very occasionally, the sight of them may also instil terror.
There are plans for improvement. Heartbeat hopes to repair and repaint the building inside and out, to create a bright, cheerful and attractive setting for learning. International aid agencies are looking into improving the water and electricity situation. It is hoped that training, and contact with others in similar positions – or with past experience - may improve the administration (currently combined with that of the Home and the High School and done on a largely voluntary basis) and that working with the High School teachers (once they are established) may improve resources and storage.
The High School was opened in January, 2009. The motivation was the lack of quality, affordable secondary education in the area. Now population numbers have grown, Kenyans are finding that, without secondary education, there is little chance of employment. This rise in unemployment is thought to be contributing to higher addiction and crime statistics together with a breakdown in the tribal customs and cultures that have controlled society in the past.
Bishop Dickson and his staff of dedicated teachers (5 + the principal), together with support-workers, hope to provide a good education and a lifestyle that maintains contact with the local community at an affordable price. Payment in kind (rather than cash) is considered as are truly “disadvantaged” students - these may be sponsored by the Home.
When we arrived, there were already 40 students, most of whom had been unable take up places they had been offered elsewhere in previous years. The numbers have now almost doubled and it has been decided that, for the school to remain remotely manageable, no more can be taken in during this academic year.
The students are all in Form 1 at present – there are two streams. After the end-of-term exams, it is likely that some will move into Form 2. Progression into Form 3 is possible at the end of the summer term but it is more likely that the next, major move will be at the end of the academic year. Then, hopefully, most Form 1 students will move up - leaving space for a new intake to work with those repeating the year.
Using a local, volunteer force together with a brick-making machine donated by charity, and a lot of corrugated iron, three classrooms and three sets of “bathrooms” have already been finished. The numbers make it imperative that building continues (whenever time, money and a workforce including students permit) – a “library” is almost complete (but there are no books!).
The boarders are currently occupying accommodation normally used by children in the Home, but it is hoped to provide separate quarters before long. Three meals a day are provided using basic, but nutritious, local produce. The Home rents a 10-acre field where students are encouraged to help in the cultivation of their own food.
The teachers are keen to help the community; many have joined Heartbeat fresh from University, some have left other jobs to work with the children. They are struggling to keep up with the almost daily changes in numbers and the necessary rearranging of schedules that this means. They also have to cope with regular changes in curriculum (subjects include Maths, English, Kiswahili, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, Geography, CRE, Agriculture and Business Studies), virtually no resources, no planned budget and very limited administrative experience or support! Their interest in other systems, and their desire to be in contact with people in similar situations, is considerable. They need encouragement and support as the school goes through the lengthy process of registration and inspection.
The children, too, are very keen to know
the facts behind the places they learn about from the (very limited) textbooks
and hear about in the news. There are many misunderstandings about lifestyle
and customs in the
Contact: Mrs Annette Kiora,
Tel: +254(0)721544997
This is the Primary school that the orphans from Heartbeat Home attend. There are two other schools in the area but this one, although it is a 2 ½ - 3 mile walk, is used – unlike the others, it was able take all of them.
Founded in the 1990’s, the school benefited from assistance from Plan International. They advised, supervised and partly-funded the construction and fittings of the first classroom – now Form 8 – and the teachers’ room. They also ensured the provision of water and adequate sanitation. Once the situation in the area improved, Plan moved on to help in areas where children were even more at risk and the work has continued, by community effort together with some government funding.
There are now 8 classrooms – one for each Form – although some forms have two streams. There is also a separate Nursery Unit, with two female teachers.
The eight teachers who support Mrs Kiora teach a curriculum that covers English, Kiswahili, Maths, Science and CRE (Christian Religious Education which, we are assured, covers other religions, too!). There is a balance of 2 female teachers to 6 male – which is a permitted mix, according to government regulations! The school also employs a cook and, because only the Plan rooms have secure doors and windows, a night watchman.
A Parents Committee is elected each year to work with the school (and its Board) in deciding priorities and drawing up submissions to the government for resources or funds.
The parents and staff have many plans and initiatives. Many of the home-made buildings already need replacing – either the surveyor misinterpreted the land structure or the materials were adulterated – quite serious subsidence is occurring. Having kept up with all the funding initiatives of the government, Nyolo now has enough money to look into a brand-new type of construction which might solve their problems.
Another hope is to be able to cultivate some of their large grounds to supplement the food provision. This is an area where small-scale farming is the main occupation so parents and children are happy to share the work and learn of new skills. Although some extra staff would have to be employed to supervise, it is felt that such a scheme could easily pay for itself, especially if it included cows and chickens. There is a problem, though – last time anything like this was attempted, the baboons destroyed all the crops overnight.
A further objective is to obtain money from the government Sports Initiative and use it to set up a Village League. The 224 children attending the school come from many different, outlying villages and it is felt this might increase unity within each village as well as create healthy competition between them. It could also help highlight the best overall players that could be used in a school team.
One teacher has even set up a village savings scheme – to help send students who pass the KCPE enter better schools.
This is a very active school with a great awareness of, and interest in, the outside world!