Cunningham kenyas first national childrens government

Kenya’s First National Children’s Government:

Implications for Educational Research, Policy and

Practice

Andrew JC Cunningham

DPhil Candidate Department of Education

Oxford University

Children in a Changing Society

11 | November | 2014

ABOUT ME

Duke University

WISER Director

Muhuru Bay,

Kenya

MSc. Oxford &

UNICEF Intern

‘Policy Analyst’

DPhil Oxford &

UNICEF

Consultant

‘Embedded

Doctoral

Researcher’

OVERVIEW

PART 1: Understanding Quality Education in Kenya –

The Basics

PART II: Measuring Quality Education in Kenya –

Some New Thoughts

PART III: Advancing Quality Education in Kenya –

Kenya’s 1st National Children’s Government

PART IV: Discussing the Future of Quality Education

in Kenya – Kenya’s Children’s Government and

Possible Implications for Educational Research, Policy

and Practice

Part 1: Understanding Quality Education in

Kenya – the Basics

Part I

Tanahashi’s (1979) model for effective service coverage provides a range

of ways to analyse constraints of why an intended service fails to meet its

target audience and level of quality provision.

Part I

Part 1

Double bottleneck for quality education. One of the ‘best’ education

systems in the region with 95% net enrolment rate, but…

Availability Coverage and Effectiveness Coverage remain obstacles.

PART II: Measuring Quality Education in

Kenya – Some New Thoughts

Part II

‘Why do we care about what we can

measure, rather than measure what we care

about?

Part II

Global

(21st Century Skills)

National

(Kenya)

Local

(Kenyan School)

Part II

Global

(21st Century Skills)

Part II

Core Subjects

1. English/Reading2. World

Languages3. Arts4. Mathematics5. Economics6. Science7. Geography8. History9. Govt/Civics

21st Century

Themes

1. Global Awareness

2. Financial, Economic Business and Entrepreneurial Literacy

3. Civic Literacy4. Health Literacy

5. Environmental Literacy

Civic Literacy

Participating

effectively in civic life

through knowing how

to stay informed and

understanding

governmental

processes

Exercising the rights

and obligations of

citizenship at local,

state, national and

global levels.

Understandi

ng the local and

global implications of

civic decisions.

Part II

Skill 1. Creativity and Innovation

Think creatively

• Wide range of idea creation techniques

• Elaborate, refine, analyse and evaluate their own ideas

Work Creatively with Others

• Incorporate group input and feedback into work

• Demonstrate originality and inventiveness

Skill 2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Reason Effectively

Use Systems Thinking

• Analyse how parts of a whole interact with each other to produce overall outcomes

Make Judgements and Decisions

• Analyse and evaluate major alternative points of view

Solve Problems

• Solve different kinds of non-familiar problems in both conventional and innovative ways.

Skill 3. Communication & Collaboration

Communicate Clearly

• Articulate thoughts and ideas in variety of forms and contexts.

• Listen effectively to decipher meaning, including knowledge, values, attitudes, values.

Collaborate with Others

• Assume shared responsibilities

• Make necessary compromises to accomplish a common goal.

Part II

1. Flexibility and Adaptability• Adapt to Change

• Be Flexible

2. Initiative and Self-

Direction• Manage Goals and Time

• Be Self-Directed Learners

3. Social and Cross-Cultural Skills

• Interact Effectively with Others

• Work Effectively in Diverse Teams

4. Productivity and Accountability

• Manage Projects

• Produce Results

5. Leadership and Responsibility

• Guide and Lead Others

• Be Responsible to Others

Part II

National

(Kenya)

Peace

Tolerance

Citizenshi

p

Part II

National

(Kenya)Inclusive Classrooms

Safety and Protection

Equity and Equality

Nutrition and Health

Community Partnerships

Child-Friendly Schools

KEPSHA Annual Delegates Conference: Mainstreaming the Child-Friendly School Concept into Child-Friendly Education System: Our Opportune Time for Advancing Children’s Government Nationwide (2013)

Question 4 – Acting on data to improve quality education. Part II

Local

(Kenyan School)

Part II

Local

(Kenyan School)

Part II

# 1 - Provide adequate number of proper classrooms for pupils.

Part II

# 2 – Provide pupils with adequate school feeding.

Part II

# 3 –Identify and enrol out-of-school children.

Part II

# 4 – Provide adequate number of qualified teachers.

Part II

# 5 – Provide pupils with clean water for drinking at school.

Part II

# 15 – Establish a children’s government to enable children to

elect their own leaders and engage in school leadership.

PART III: Advancing Quality Education in

Kenya –Kenya’s 1st National Children’s

Government

3 questions.

1. What constitutes a children’s government in a Kenyan school?

2. What was the structure of the 1st

National Children’s Government in June 2014?

3. What were the steps for operationalizing a children’s co-

design process for policy making in education?

1. What constitutes a children’s government in a

Kenyan school?

21 Elected Officials for each School

4 Executive Governing OfficialsPresidentDeputy PresidentSpeakerDeputy Speaker

6 Cabinet OfficialsEducation Cabinet Secretary (CS) Sports and Culture CS Justice, Peace and Cohesion CSEnvironmental, Health and Sanitation CS Children Welfare and Special Needs CSICT and External Relations CS

3 Senators Lower Primary Senator (Pre-Unit – Class 3)Middle Primary Senator (Class 5 & 6)Upper Primary Senator (Class 7 and 8)

8 Members of Parliament One Member of Parliament for each Class

*Only Executive and Cabinet Officials continue onto sub-county, county and national elections.

Bringing Young Kenyans to the Decision-Making Table: The Road to Kenya’s First National Children’s Government

Part III

The Judicial Branch – The Pupils’ CourtChildren’Government

30,000 School Elections

208 Sub County

Elections

47 County

Elections

1 National Election

680,000

Pupil Leaders

2,080

Pupil Leaders

470

Pupil Leaders

10

Pupil Leaders

Jan. & Feb. Mar., Apr., May June 16 2014 June 16, 2014

Part III

2. What was the structure of the 1st National

Children’s Government in June 2014?

32

‘Empowering Children to Lead Innovation in

Achieving Quality Education for All’

Saturday: National Campaigns and Elections

Sunday: Parliament and Law Making

Monday: Inauguration and Declaration of Priorities

Part III

Part III Nominations and Speeches

Part III Campaigning

Part III Voting

Part III Counting Ballots

Part III Transmission of Results in Real-Time

TRANSMISSION OF RESULTS

145

205

104

231

159

174

191

143

152

180

211

125

0 50 100 150 200 250

ACHIENG USLER

ABDI AZIZ

NEEMA AKINYI

AMIN YUSUF

ABDULLAHI ZAHARA

ANNE STEPHA…

FADHILI MANYASA

PATRICIA KAVULANI

FAITH WAIRIMU

SALAT ABDI

CLINTON CHASE

EMILY RAWAYO

AchiengUsler

Abdi Aziz Neema Akinyi Amin YusufAbdullahiZahara

AnneStephanie

FadhiliManyasa

PatriciaKavulani

Faith Wairimu Salat AbdiClintonChase

EmilyRawayo

No. ofVotes

145 205 104 231 159 174 191 143 152 180 211 125

No. of Votes

Part III Transmission of Results in Real-Time

Part III. Victory is Declared


Part III: Parliament and Policy Making

Part III: Inauguration of Children’s Government

Part III: Inauguration of President Danny Kinaro

Part III - Inauguration of Inclusive Cabinet

CS for Children’s Welfare, Salat Abdi used sign language

for his campaign.

Deputy Speaker Patricia Kamene challenged the

Cabinet Secretary for Education to increase budget

allocations for special needs children.

Deputy President Fatma and Speaker Halima

3. What were the steps for operationalizing a

children’s co-design process of policy making

for education?

9 STEPS FOR CHILD

CO-DESIGN IN

POLICY MAKING FOR

QUALITY EDUCATION

IN KENYA

Step 1: Draw Your School

Step 2: Label Parts of Your School or

Step 3: Role play as a Visiting School Inspector asking WHY or .

Step 4: Ideation – Stop | Start | Improveernment

Step 4 (up close)

Step 5: Clustering into CFS Categories

Step 6: Policy Making – Each County’s Top 10 Priorities (2 per CFS Theme)

Step 7: National Parliament Debate

Step 8: National Parliament Voting

Step 9: Presentation of Top 10 Priorities to National Decision-Makers

INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS

We must sensitise all of Kenya’s pupils on

the need to give love, care and priority in

advocating for the needs of fellow pupils

with special needs.

We must provide more classes for both the

abled and disabled with both computers

and braille machines included.

EQUITY AND EQUALITY

We must promote peace and love by

starting peer counseling and school courts

for all pupils across Kenya (a school court

is defined as a pupil council who can judge

their fellow pupils fairly during times of

indiscipline).

We must promote an end to gender

favouritism by giving equal access to equal

shares of educational materials for all

pupils; both boys and girls.

SAFETY AND PROTECTION

We must introduce school security clubs

overseen by the children’s governments to

safeguard all pupils, teachers and school

resources throughout the country from

those who wish to steal our opportunity to

learn.

We must provide proper fences to be put in

place in all schools to reduce drugs and

other negative influences from entering into

our school compounds and disrupting our

learning environment.

HEALTH AND NUTRITION

We must call upon all pupils to participate in

open forums to give education on the importance

of proper sanitation and hygiene. We must also

talk to parents during parent meetings on the

need to give their children balanced diets and

support school feeding programmes. And finally,

we must have all schools put up posters

addressing issues on HIV/AIDS and other

diseases that could threaten our future.

We must ensure that all pupils can eat a

balanced diet by giving all schools the

equipment needed for planting vegetables and

fruits in a school farm.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND LINKAGES

We must encourage all schools to form a pupils’

disciplinary committee to address pupils’ discipline

cases for and by their peers. We must also

formulate an appropriate language policy to help

our pupils on the command of global languages.

Finally, the children’s government officials must talk

to pupils on the need to maintain peace within the

school and the neighboring community at all times

throughout the country.

We must advocate for all schools that are in need

of water to encourage their communities to raise

funds to build adequate boreholes for all children

so we can have access to safe drinking water for

all.

Part III

Majority Leader Hon. Adan Duale promised to invite the

Children’s Government to the Kenya Parliament

Part III

…And he kept his word! The Children’s Government were the first visitors to be given the privilege to sit in the Speaker’s Box and the ten priorities were adopted as an official resolution in Kenyan parliament

PART IV: Discussing the Future of Quality Education in

Kenya – Possible Implications for Educational Research,

Policy and Practice

Part IV: Research, Policy and Practice

Global

(Research)

National

(Policy)

Local

(Practice)

Part IV: Global Research Focus

Part IV: National Educational Policy

Inclusive Classrooms

Safety and Protection

Equity and Equality

Nutrition and Health

Community Partnerships

Child-Friendly Schools by

Children

How do the 10 Children’s

Priorities Compare and

Contrast with the Child-

Friendly School Indicators for

Quality Education


Part IV: National Education Policy

Children’s Voices in

Kenya

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social

Development

Children’s Assembly

(2 girls, 2 boys from each county)

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology

(10 Elected Officials from School, District, and County Levels)

Part IV: Local Educational Practice

KEPSHA’s Flagship Program

Commonwealth Youth

Parliament in Zambia

Child-Centred Design

Teaching

3 THOUGHTS FOR DISCUSSION

WHAT COULD THE Kenyan CHILDREN’S GOVERNMENT MEAN FOR future of…

1.CHILD RIGHTS - POWER VS. PARTICIPATION

2.FUNDING bucket - CHILD PROTECTION VS.

QUALITY EDUCATION,

1.SCHOOL LEADERSHIP – MANAGERIAL VS. TRANSFORMATIONAL VS. DEMOCRATIC

Thank You

Email:

[email protected].

uk

Twitter: @ACWrld

Cunningham kenyas first national childrens government

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