Ministry launches technical working group to develop guidelines on early learning

A multi-stakeholder Technical Working Group (TWG) to spearhead the development of Kenya’s first National Guidelines on Foundational Learning has been launched.

This follows a partnership between the Ministry of Education, in partnership with Education Development Trust (EDT), Learning Generation Initiative (LGI) and Zizi Afrique.

The launch took place at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in Nairobi on Friday.

TWG brings together stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, the Council of Governors, county governments, government agencies, civil society and development partners.

Membership include representatives from teachers unions, Teachers Service Commission(TSC), primary headteachers association, Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), KICD, ECD Network of Kenya, METIS and other development partners.

It will be co-chaired by the Ministry of Education and the Council of Governors (CoG).

The team is expected to coordinate and play a central role in strengthening the quality and equity of early years’ education across the country.

While Kenya has seen increased school enrolment, including in pre-primary, concerns remain about the quality of learning.

A 2020 national assessment by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) found that more than 85 percent of Grade 3 learners lacked basic literacy and numeracy skills.

In response, the taskforce aims to address critical challenges in Early Childhood Education(ECE) and will focus on key areas such as teacher training, access to learning materials and consistent implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE).

“This initiative represents a critical step in our education reform journey. Without early years investment in education, a person cannot prosper later in their academic journey or workplace. These guidelines will serve to benefit all of us and ensure that no child is left behind,” said Mr Elyas Abdi, the director General in the Ministry of Education.

The formation of the TWG is aligned with the recommendations of the 2023 Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), which called for urgent action to strengthen foundational learning in Kenya to avert future crisis in education.

It also supports Kenya’s National Education Sector Strategic Plan 2023-2027, which seeks to improve literacy and numeracy skills during the early years of schooling.

As part of its broader support to the government, Education Development Trust (EDT) is providing technical assistance through the UK-funded INSPIRED programme.

This includes supporting the delivery and implementation of national early learning policy reforms, while also providing professional development training for all public ECE teachers, school leaders, and county education officials in Wajir and Mandera.

In addition, it is facilitating the provision of teaching and learning materials in both counties.

The programme aims to improve foundational learning skills for over 200,000 children in Kenya, with a focus on reaching the most marginalised, particularly those in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs).

Elizabeth Ogott, EDT's Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Director, commended the Ministry of Education for its leadership in prioritising foundational learning as part of Kenya’s broader education reform agenda.

“Kenya has made notable progress in education, but the learning crisis remains a serious challenge. Through the INSPIRED programme, we are proud to support the Ministry of Education in co-creating sustainable, evidence-based solutions that can improve early learning outcomes for all children, especially the most marginalized,” said Ms Ogott.

The launch featured a high-level panel discussion bringing together global and local education leaders.

 Mayor Ivo Gomes, leader of transformative education reforms in Sobral, Brazil, shared lessons from his city’s education reforms, calling for greater use of data and evidence to strengthen early learning outcomes.

Global Teacher Prize winner Peter Tabichi emphasised the importance of including teachers in policy development and implementation, noting that their lived experience is itself a critical source of evidence.

As TWG begins its work, it will coordinate consultations, review existing frameworks, identify best practices, and support public awareness and rollout of the guidelines.

The guidelines are expected to offer concrete steps for implementing high-quality early years education across Kenya.