Kenyan Education Sector Witnesses Significant Advancements Under SEQIP
Nairobi – The Kenya Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP), a collaborative initiative between the Kenyan Ministry of Education and the World Bank, has yielded substantial improvements in educational quality across 135 Sub-Counties over the past six years. The project, which spans 30 Counties, was aimed at enhancing the standards of teaching and learning resources, particularly in the fields of Science, Mathematics, and English.
According to Kenya News Agency, Director of the Directorate of Project Coordination and Delivery at the State Department for Basic Education, SEQIP has successfully addressed key challenges in the educational sector. Notable achievements include the significant reduction of teacher shortages in crucial subject areas, facilitated by the employment of over 3,500 teachers for secondary and primary levels by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The project introduced innovative teaching methods, including the live streaming of lessons, and boosted teachers’ professional development through a school-based support system, impacting nearly 52,000 educators. Additionally, the distribution of over 7 million textbooks for Science, Mathematics, and English has been pivotal in enhancing learning outcomes for students.
Infrastructure development was another critical area of focus, with over a thousand new classrooms and numerous laboratories and sanitation facilities constructed to improve the school learning environment. Further, SEQIP’s contribution to inclusivity in education was marked by the distribution of braille textbooks and assistive devices for students with disabilities.
The initiative also tackled gender disparities and educational retention, distributing sanitary towels to promote girls’ school attendance and implementing the Elimu Scholarship Program, which has significantly benefited students’ progression to higher education.
On a systemic level, SEQIP supported the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in rolling out the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for Grades 4 to 9 and bolstered the Kenya National Examination Council’s (KNEC) capabilities to monitor educational progress through various studies and assessments.
In response to identified challenges, the project initiated policy studies on gender-based sexual violence in schools, resulting in a framework to address and prevent such issues. Additionally, SEQIP’s influence extended to the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation (JKF), enhancing its capacity to manage educational scholarships effectively.
Due to the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank has extended the SEQIP project until December 2024, reaffirming its commitment to advancing Kenya’s educational landscape.