Transforming Education Through Strong Leadership in Kenya

In 2022, Kenya’s Ministry of Education commissioned a national Training Needs Assessment to assess whether school leaders were ready and willing to participate in a blended continuous professional development programme for implementing the new curriculum. It also aimed to identify the key challenges school leaders faced in understanding the curriculum, providing leadership for its implementation, and creating an environment of continuous learning and improvement of teachers in their schools. Findings revealed that only approximately one in five of secondary school leaders and less than one-third of primary school leaders felt prepared to mentor and support teachers on all components of the competency-based curriculum. Additionally, most school leaders (65.2% in primary and 80.2% in secondary) reported lacking confidence in mentoring and supporting teachers on competency-based curriculum design. Building the capacity of school leaders in junior schools to lead the implementation of the competency-based curriculum was therefore deemed crucial. This became the basis for developing the Effective School Leadership for Junior Schools (ESL4JS) training content. 

The competency-based curriculum is designed to be learner-centered, allowing learners to study at their own pace and pursue their individual needs and interests while developing essential 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration, as well as citizenship. This curriculum is significantly different from the previous 8-4-4 curriculum, which largely focused on academics and rote learning, limiting opportunities for skill and character development. Evidence from various studies also pointed to issues with curriculum overload, overlaps, and inadequate infrastructure in the 8-4-4 system, emphasising the need for education reforms focused on the development of relevant competencies, character-building values, psychosocial competencies, improved infrastructure, adoption of learner-centered pedagogies and restructuring the examination process.  

The ESL4JS course was subsequently tailored in this regard, covering the following courses: 

• The Blended Learning Approach
• Digital Literacy for Learning
• Competency-based Curriculum Implementation
• Effective Resource Management for Implementation of CBC in Junior Schools
• Learner Support Programmes
• Learner and Teacher Welfare
• Institutional Governance  

The rollout of the ESL4JS course began in August 2023. The 650 school leaders trained to date have come from 13 out of Kenya’s 47 counties and represent two out of three cohorts in the project thus far. By the end of the pilot phase in 2026, the project, led by VVOB and the Kenya Education Management Institute (KEMI), aims to reach over 1,000 school leaders nationwide. This partnership between VVOB and KEMI plays a crucial role in addressing educational challenges in Kenya. KEMI, responsible for building capacity in the education sector by providing trainings and conducting research, co-designed the training programme and a dedicated app alongside VVOB. This collaborative approach is essential for successfully implementing the CBC among school leaders, who are key in driving its success. 

Since the training began, school leaders have reported feeling more equipped to effectively implement CBC and mentor their teachers. For Mary Otwori, head of Molo Academy in Nakuru County, school leaders must lead by example, starting with obtaining the requisite skills to effectively guide their teachers. “It is us to lead our teachers in CBC implementation, so we need to get the right knowledge, right skills, and even a change in attitude and pass these to the teachers. The training has helped us in this way, further allowing us to look at all the approaches we are going to use to ensure that the programme succeeds- because it must succeed,” she states.  

According to principal Otwori, a key outcome of the course would be the development of tangible policies that would help all education stakeholders involved in curriculum implementation to better transition from the former 8-4-4 education system to the CBC. Her sentiments are echoed by Joash Ongeri, headteacher of Kebabe DEB School in Nyamira County, who notes that the training has made him more creative and innovative even as he pursues effective CBC implementation. “I am passionate about the ICT and online aspect of the course. Kenya is on the 21st-century skills and the skills we’re gaining through the course are going to allow me to apply the best strategies and skills to implement CBC while infusing ICT and e-learning, which is crucial for the current learner,” he says.  

The findings of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, highlight that many countries lack the necessary training initiatives and capacities to equip teachers with the digital skills required for effective use of technology in classrooms. As Joash points out, digital tools are becoming increasingly important in education, this must be considered in professional development for educators. The ESL4JS course directly addresses this through its innovative, technology-driven approach. 

The ESL4JS is an app-based course combining a blend of online self-paced learning, extended learning activities and face-to-face learning sessions. Developed from a needs assessment where 94% of school leaders reported owning smartphones, the course takes advantage of easy access and the opportunity to improve ICT skills and integration. School leaders prefer this blended approach as it offers flexibility and allows for both self-paced learning and interactive sessions with facilitators and peers. However, aligning course timelines with school leaders' busy schedules has been challenging. To address this, VVOB and KEMI trainers maintain ongoing communication with the school leaders through various platforms and adjust timelines to accommodate any issues that arise.   

As the INCREASE project gains momentum, it is imperative to apply the lessons learnt from previous cohorts to improve future ones. Noam Janssens, VVOB Strategic Education Advisor responsible for blended learning, notes that insights from the first cohort have made subsequent cohorts run more smoothly. “We expect to learn even as we improve the course and to identify the most effective blend of modalities for learning and delivery. For example, in cohort two, the final face-to-face session was fully virtual, different from what we had in cohort one, so we expect to learn from that and determine its feasibility going forward”. 

The success of INCREASE depends on strong partnerships to achieve a national rollout by 2026, as noted by Claire Mazin, VVOB Country Programmes Manager in Kenya. “Meaningful reforms cannot be achieved in isolation, we need partnerships. All stakeholders must remain committed to making Kenya’s education system better,” she states. On his part, KEMI CEO Dr. Maurice Odondo reiterates the need for creativity and strategic leadership, stressing that school leaders must work together and apply their learnings to support teachers and navigate challenges while promoting continuous learning and professional development. This collective effort will ensure that Kenyan students are well-prepared to become engaged, skilled, and ethical citizens, which is the core objective of the CBC.