Is E-Learning compatible with the goals of ‘Education

for All’?A case study from Kenya - A

Rawlsian perspective

Chris Yates, Education Adviser, International Extension College,

Cambridge

The Dakar Education Targets

Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children

Ensuring that by 2015, all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to, and complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality.

Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes

Achieving a 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults

Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005 and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality

Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognised and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all especially in literacy and essential life skills.

Millennium Development Goals

Goal 2: Achieve Universal primary education

Target 3: Ensure that by 2015 children everywhere boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in Primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and at all levels of education no later than 2015.

Province Number of schools

Total no of KRTs actually enrolled (N) %

No of KRTs who completed(N) %

Drop-out rate (N) %

Comple-tion rate %

Phase 1          

Eastern 4,142 11,327 (91%) 11,090 (98%) 246 98

Sub-total 4,142 11,327 11,090 246 98

Phase 2          

Rift Valley 4,678 13,196 (94%) 12,647 (96%) 604 95

Central 1,855 5,212 (94%) 5,107 (98%) 105 98

Nairobi 193 576 (99%) 569 (99%) 7 99

Sub-total 6,726 18,984 (94%) 18,323 (97%) 716 96

Phase 3          

Nyanza 4,027 9,952 (82%) 9,429 (95%) 523 95

Western 1,971 6,488 (110%) 6,135 (95%) 227 98

Coast 1,136 1,940 (57%) 1,715 (88%) 233 88

North East 173 584 (113%) 579 (99%) 5 99

Sub-total 7,307 18,964 (87%) 17,858 (94%) 988 95

 Total  18,175 49,275 (90%) 47,271 (96%)  1,950  96

SbTD - KRT Enrolment and completion by Province

SbTD - Enrolment by Gender: Provincial level P Province Total

Enrolment Total Male Enrolment

% Male Enrolment

Total Female Enrolment

% FemaleEnrolmnt

1 Eastern 11,327 6,431 57 4,896 43

             

2 Nairobi 576 121 21 455 79

2 Central 5,212 2,567 49 2,645 51

2 Rift Valley* 13,196 8,152 62 5,044 38

             

3 Coast* 1,940 1,266 65 674 35

3 North East 584 472 81 112 19

3 Nyanza 9,952 6,562 66 3,390 34

3 Western 6,488 3,897 60 2,591 40

             

  Total/Average

49,275 29,468 60 19,807 40

Source Tables 1&2 - MOEST/Yates (2004) * Provisional figures as some district data remains outstanding

KenCellNetworkCoverage2004

SafaricomNetwork andCoverage

KenyaMap Electricity Coverage

SWAp - DBA and KESSP

Kenya Education Strategic Support Programme

SWAp – Sector Wide Approach – WB, DFID, CIDA?

Direct Budgetary Support

Plus 14 other major Development Partners in Project-mode

Primary INSET Investment Programme (as of Feb 2005)

  Programme US $ m

1 Maintenance of current INSET (SbTD/SEP) Programme

21

2 Action research and development for new programming

1.4

Total   22.4

Line 2: Action research and development for new programming

Exchange rate 1US$ = 80Ks

In-service new progrming

2005mKs

2006mKs

2007mKs

2008mKs

2009mKs

TtalmKs

US$

E-learning programming

00 16 12 20 4 52 0.65

F2F training 00 15 15 15 15 60 0.75

Total   31 27 25 19 112 1.4

E-learning in the KESSP

INSET Investment Plan SbTD Extension and SEP E-learning action research and development

ICT Policy Development and Investment Plan

Imfundo supported E-learning

activities

UoL IEC E-learning for PPODFL

BBC-WIL SKIP

Aims of Kenyan PPODFL

Ground participants in the fundamental principles of ODFL for course and programme delivery (including using E-learning and e-support)

Expose participants to the potential and challenges of E- learning in Kenya through direct experience and

Help participants to develop practical applications ready for piloting with appropriate audiences in 2006.

Rawl’s social justice principles

1. Each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive total system of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar system of liberty for all (The Liberty Principle)

2. Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are both:

a) to the greatest benefit to the least advantaged… (The Difference Principle) and

b) attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity (Equality of Opportunity Principle)

Developing e-learning projects in Kenya

Do a detailed situational analysis and identify a number of key educational problems facing the Kenyan society/education system.

Develop E-learning proposals which seek to alleviate the problems

Assess the work using Rawlsian social justice principles before

approving the resources

Some key challenges facing the contemporary Kenyan education system

How to raise the coverage of Early Childhood Development

How to enhance educational opportunities for children with special needs

How to raise the Gross Enrolment Rates (GER) in primary education in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL)

How to increase the internal efficiency of the primary teacher force

How to cater for the 1.5m out-of-school children

How to help 4.2million illiterate adults in Kenya – 61% who are women.

Only 49% of those who complete the primary cycle progress to join the secondary system – how to improve secondary progression rates

How to improve the quality of education at all levels

Possible E-learning Interventions

Train and support ECD Trainers using ‘e-supported learning’

Run E-learning think tank/virtual conference involving international education policy makers to identify alternative models of SEN provision

Equip Mobile Schools and Shepherd Schools with Internet access Run action research based pilots

Run E-learning virtual conference to debate alternative strategies for managing inefficient teacher force.

Set up ‘Hole in the Wall Computer Kiosks’ (Minimally Invasive Education)

Train and support adult educators using blended learning

Establish multi-media, flexible open school system for girls and women only.

Introduce models of E-education in pre-and in-service education

Education challenges and possible e-learning responses

How to raise the coverage of Early Childhood Development

How to enhance educational opportunities for children with special needs

How to raise the Gross Enrolment Rates (GER) in primary education in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL)

How to increase the internal efficiency of the primary teacher force

How to cater for the 1.5m out-of-school children

How to help 4.2million illiterate adults in Kenya – 61% were women.

Only 49% of those who complete the primary cycle progress to join the secondary system – how to improve secondary progression rates

How to improve the quality of education at all levels

Train and support ECD Trainers using ‘e-supported learning’

Run E-learning think tank/virtual conference involving international education policy makers to identify alternative models of SEN provision

Equip Mobile Schools and Shepard Schools with Internet access Run action research based pilots

Run E-learning virtual conference to debate alternative strategies for managing inefficient teacher force.

Set up ‘Hole in the Wall Computer Kiosks’ (Minimally Invasive Education)

Train and support adult educators using blended learning

Establish multi-media, flexible open school system for girls and women only.

Introduce models of E-education in pre-and in-service education