JANE WANJIRU NYAGA
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Name: JANE WANJIRU NYAGA
Organization: KENYA INSTITUTE OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
Location: KENYA
Please explain how has the organization implemented the Learning to Live Together Programme in systematic ways. (1000 words)
1. From 27th – 30th September, 2016 – With support from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Arigatou International and ACT! Organized a conference dubbed “Learning to Live Together through History & Government Education
The Conference on “Learning to “Live Together through History and Government Education” took place from 27th – 30th September 2016. The conference was in support of Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) efforts to improve the current state of History and Government teaching in Kenya and explore ways in which History and Government can be used to promote Learning to Live Together harmoniously.
By the end of the conference, the participants were able to; identify good practices in promoting learning to live together which include, respect for diversity and inclusiveness, dialogue, mutual understanding and social cohesion.
Some of the participants in the conference
Group Photo of the Participants in the Conference
2. From 11 to 13 November 2015, in partnership with KICD and Arigatou International organized the second Basic Training Workshop for 30 Curriculum Developers from KICD on the use of the Learning to Live Together Programme.
3. From 18 to 20 May 2015, in partnership with KICD and Arigatou International organized the first Basic Training Workshop for 26 Curriculum Developers. This was a 3 day non-residential workshop at the KICD with the aim to introduce the approach, methodology and resources of the Learning To Live Together Ethics Education program to contribute towards strengthening the curriculum and related processes.
4. From 22-23 September, 2015 participated as a facilitator in the reflection meeting following the completion of the Learning to Live Together pilot program in Kenya. It was conducted as a two-day workshop to provide space for teachers to reflect together at the end of the pilot program and to follow-up on the final steps of the M&E process.
5. From 01 February – 06 March, 2015 Successfully completed the online course as advanced facilitator of the Learning to Live Together Programme On Cooperative Games: Enhancing Children’s Participation and Collaborative Learning
6. From 9th September to 13th September 2014 Participated in the Learning to Live Together (LTLT) facilitators’ training workshop held in Lukenya. The workshop was led by the Kenya Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST) with the support of the UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Nairobi and Arigatou International. About Twenty participants drawn from MOEST, KICD (represented by Jane Nyaga), Education Field Officers, Officers from Nairobi County and Tana River County offices and some teachers attended the week-long Learning to Live Together (LTLT) facilitator training workshop.
Another strategy that has been used to implement and sustain ethics education in Kenya is through mainstreaming LTLT in the Curriculum Reform Process in Kenya curriculum.
The overall wellbeing of a child is critical for the survival of any society. Children like adults are faced with a myriad of challenges and issues owing to the legal, technological, social, cultural and economic dynamics in society.Values are defined as standards that guide an individual on how to respond or behave in a given circumstance. Our values influence how we feel, act and make choices in life. The nurturing of values will facilitate the achievement of the curriculum reforms’ vision, particularly with respect to molding ethical citizens.
Curriculum is used as a channel through which Ethics education can be enhanced for sustainable peace in the world. The reformed curriculum in Kenya adopts a multi-dimensional approach in addressing Ethics education. In order to prepare the future generations to be creative and responsible global citizens and to foster Ethics education, teaching and learning activities in formal and non–formal education settings must be facilitated. The vision of the Basic Education Curriculum Reforms Framework (BECRF) is to enable every Kenyan to become an engaged, empowered and ethical citizen. Its Mission is to nurture every learners potential. This will be achieved by providing every Kenyan learner with world class standards in the skills and knowledge that they deserve, and which they need in order to thrive in the 21st century. This shall be accomplished through the provision of excellent teaching, school environments and resources and a sustainable visionary curriculum that provides every learner with seamless, competency based high quality learning that values every learner.
The first pillar of the BECF is Values. KICD is adopting a Value based Approach to Education in the reformed curriculum. Value-based Education (VbE) is an approach to teaching that works with values. It creates a strong learning environment that enhances academic attainment, and develops students’ social and relationship skills that last throughout their lives. VBE equips students with social capacities that help them work with, and relate to others effectively. It provides them with the self-esteem and confidence to explore and develop their full potential. In view of this 65 curriculum developers across all learning areas have undertaken the Basic LTLT Training which was conducted in two phases in 2016. The training of curriculum developers was aimed at enabling them to mainstream ethics education in the reformed curriculum in Kenya.
Overall Goal of VbE in Kenya
“To nurture core values in learners to become empowered, engaged and ethical citizens for positive and holistic transformation of society”. VbE will be implemented through Whole-School Approach which will involve learners, teachers, support staff, Board of Management, family members, wider school community and relevant stakeholders;
In view of this, KICD in collaboration with other stakeholders has identified eight (8) Core values:
1. Love
2. Respect
3. Responsibility
4. Patriotism
5. Unity
6. Peace
7. Social Justice
8. Integrity
These core values and related ones will be mainstreamed in all learning areas at all levels of basic education in Kenya. This will undoubtedly will go a long way in enabling the country achieve Ethics education. Indeed. A mainstreaming matrix on values has already been developed to guide curriculum developers in mainstreaming values in the Formal, Non Formal and Informal dimensions of the curriculum. KICD in collaboration with MOE and other partners has developed three Draft VbE Source Books:
• Primary School Teachers VbE Source Book
• Secondary school teachers VbE Source Book
• School Managers VbE Source
Example of mainstreaming of values in the curriculum designs
How has the organization used the Ethics Education Framework to further mutual understanding and respect among people in their local contexts? (600 words)
The training of curriculum developers programme was designed to ensure that at the end of the workshop, the curriculum developers were equipped to mainstream the Ethics education approach and Learning to Live Together Programme in the curriculum reform process.
The trainings followed the principles of the Learning to Live Together Programme and its Ethics Education Framework, which emphasizes participatory, experience-based learning methodologies, and places the learning needs of the participants at the centre of the learning process. Participants were fully immersed in an enriching learning journey. There were also opportunities for self-reflection and for more informal social interaction, where participants shared their experiences and learnt from one another. Participants were provided with materials to complement the learning sessions.
The trainers modeled the LTLT values of Empathy and respect, used the learning process that helped the teachers to explore and reflect on their situation. The trainers also used activities within the Kiosks especially module one to help the teachers develop self- awareness (Understanding self and others, acknowledging myself in relation to others, appreciating diversity and putting myself in the shoes of others). Some of the activities that promoted self- awareness included the star, the diminishing islands, the silent journey, analysis of the conflicts in Kenya and role-plays on conflict. Curriculum developers were also provided with opportunities for self- driven learning through role plays, and provision of space for learning such as through the silent journey. The training provided an opportunity for exploration of key concepts of LTLT such as human dignity, inter-cultural learning, spirituality and Ethics Education. The participants shared their traditions, music and dance.
Curriculum is used as a channel through which Ethics education can be enhanced for sustainable peace in the world. The reformed curriculum in Kenya adopts a multi-dimensional approach in addressing Ethics education. In order to prepare the future generations to be creative and responsible global citizens and to foster Ethics education, teaching and learning activities in formal and non–formal education settings must be facilitated. The vision of the Basic Education Curriculum Reforms Framework (BECRF) is to enable every Kenyan to become an engaged, empowered and ethical citizen. Its Mission is to nurture every learners potential. This will be achieved by providing every Kenyan learner with world class standards in the skills and knowledge that they deserve, and which they need in order to thrive in the 21st century. This shall be accomplished through the provision of excellent teaching, school environments and resources and a sustainable visionary curriculum that provides every learner with seamless, competency based high quality learning that values every learner.
The first pillar of the BECF is Values. KICD is adopting a Value based Approach to Education in the reformed curriculum. Value-based Education (VbE) is an approach to teaching that works with values. It creates a strong learning environment that enhances academic attainment, and develops students’ social and relationship skills that last throughout their lives. VBE equips students with social capacities that help them work with, and relate to others effectively. It provides them with the self-esteem and confidence to explore and develop their full potential. In view of this 65 curriculum developers across all learning areas have undertaken the Basic LTLT Training which was conducted in two phases in 2016. The training of curriculum developers was aimed at enabling them to mainstream ethics education in the reformed curriculum in Kenya.
In view of this, KICD in collaboration with other stakeholders has identified eight (8) Core values:
1. Love
2. Respect
3. Responsibility
4. Patriotism
5. Unity
6. Peace
7. Social Justice
8. Integrity
These core values and related ones will be mainstreamed in all learning areas at all levels of basic education in Kenya. This will undoubtedly will go a long way in enabling the country achieve Ethics education. Indeed. A mainstreaming matrix on values has already been developed to guide curriculum developers in mainstreaming values in the Formal, Non Formal and Informal dimensions of the curriculum.
Explain how the implementation of the Learning to Live Together Programme has been sensitive to the local context. (600 words)
The mainstreaming of LTLT in the curriculum Kenya has been sensitive to the local context. The first activity entailed training of curriculum developers who were trained in two phases. The first phase had 30 curriculum developers trained and the second phase had 35 curriculum developers trained. In each of the trainings, the participants were drawn from all learning areas to ensure inclusivity.
All training sessions provided for an opportunity for context analysis (reality check). This helped the participants to analyze their situation in relation to the challenges related to peace, the causes and their proposed interventions. This also helped the facilitators to understand the world of the participants and the issues they were grappling with in relation to peace and mutual understanding such as conflicts, religious diversity, gender issues among others.
Participants worked in groups to come with proposals on what model to adopt for the implementation of values based education in Kenya. The model that would be used to pilot values based education. The Consultative meeting was held on 26th January, 2017.
It comprised of about seventy (70) participants and six (6 ) facilitators. The meeting intended to support KICD in efforts to adopt a Value Based Education Approach. This was followed by a five days technical workshop to develop a framework on Value Based Education and programme to be piloted later in the year.
Objectives of the workshop
1. Contribute to supporting the KICD guiding curriculum framework on Value Based Education
2. Provide a platform to identify and share best practices and strategies for adopting a value based education approach.
3. Inform policy and practice in curriculum on best practices in value based education
Inputs to the workshop
1. DEPOT / Mike Eldon will present on the Global perspective on Value Based Education
2. KICD to present on the place of values in the curriculum reform
3. Aga Khan Foundation will present the value based approach used in programmes
4. Arigatou International to present on Learning to Live Together and Ethics Education for Children
5. Twaweza Communications to present the pilot programme on Amani Goggle Hangout Bridges for Peace
6. WERK – Presented research findings on status of Values in Kenya
Expected results
By the end of the workshop the participants will able to:
• identify good practices in promoting value Based Education, respect for diversity and inclusiveness, as well as dialogue, mutual understanding, and social cohesion through curricula
• identify and discuss possible challenges and opportunities posed by the integration of a values in the curriculum reform processes
• provide recommendations on pedagogy, material development and programme design for a value based education
The emerging trend in terms of curriculum is to adopt a values-based approach to education that will create learning opportunities within the formal, non-formal and informal curriculum dimensions to inculcate the desired values in all learners. Indeed, the envisaged curriculum reform in Kenya recognizes values are as important to the socio-economic development and stability of the country, in the same way that competencies in academics are important. Indeed, values form one of the four pillars and citizenship is one of the seven core competencies that the curriculum is based on in the envisaged curriculum
The eight core values were identified and a Values Mainstreaming Matrix developed. The Framework and mainstreaming matrix helped customize the LTLT content and activities to the Kenyan context. It took into consideration the values and principles of Governance as enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya. The participants proposed that piloting of value based education should take into consideration the diverse nature of Kenyan schools. Sampled schools should represent different contexts such as urban, rural, semi-urban, mixed schools, boys only, girls only, public, private, special schools, faith based schools should be selected to take part in the pilot. Diverse realities of facing different communities such as marginalization, tribal conflicts, radicalization and violent extremism, should also be taken into consideration.
How have the programs implemented impacted your organization, children and facilitators?
Education plays an important role in developing and enhancing human resource skills for socio-economic and political development. Indeed, many governments are spending and investing in education so as to develop their human resource base. However, the role of education goes beyond socio-economic and political development as it is expected to play a key role in addressing the challenges that the world is facing today including addressing violent conflicts. Within this context, peace education and the Global Citizenship Education (GCED) emphasizes the need and the urgency to develop global citizens who are of high morals and integrity, have the requisite knowledge, skills, values and attitudes necessary to create a more just, peaceful, inclusive, secure and sustainable societies. Education policies, planning and programming should also adopt a conflict-sensitive approach to enhance the capacity of the sector to promote peace. It is envisaged that GCED will enhance and nurture a deeper and better approach in human development and therefore guarantee prosperity and high quality of life for all in a secure and clean environment.
In order to develop holistic individuals, education needs to go beyond acquisition of knowledge and cognitive skills development to inculcating values, soft skills, and attitudes that facilitate and promote structural transformation and international co-operation. This spirit is captured by the Africa Agenda 2063, and Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) 2016 to 2025 which are the instruments that drives the education agenda for Africa. This is also in line with the global trends as stipulated by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Education Agenda 2030.
Africa has diverse cultures, multiple ethnic groups, different religions and languages. It is therefore imperative that its 1.2 billion people appreciate and live the fullness of this diversity. The Africa Agenda 2063 envisions “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena’ under the slogan – The Africa we want.” One of the seven aspirations for the ‘Africa we want’ is to have a peaceful and secure continent, with harmony among communities starting from grassroots level. Effective management of this diversity will lead to peaceful coexistence amongst communities and social-economic transformation. In order to achieve this, a culture of peace and tolerance must be nurtured among Africans including children and youth. LTLT is the panacea to instill and inculcate respect for other people, their history, traditions and values, as well as promoting a culture of peace and understanding. It is envisaged that by 2063, Africa will have entrenched and nourished a culture of human rights, democracy, gender equality, inclusion, peace, prosperity, security and safety for all citizens.
The Strategic Objective 10, of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025 emphasizes promotion of peace education, conflict prevention and resolution at all levels of education and for all age groups. The Competence based curriculum in Kenya is value laden. It adopts a value based approach.
The curriculum is used as a channel through which values based education / ethics education can be enhanced for sustainable peace in the world. The curriculum adopts a multi-dimensional approach in values. In order to prepare the future generations to be creative and responsible global citizens and to foster global citizenship, teaching and learning activities in formal and non–formal education settings must be facilitated. KICD has developed a Values and Citizenship mainstreaming matrices. This I believe will have a great impact on learners at all levels of education.
Curriculum should take advantage of the fact that learners spend most of their formative years in school, which presents opportunities for the curriculum to mould and reinforce values upon which the learner’s character is formed. The emerging trend in terms of curriculum is to adopt a value-based approach to education that will create learning opportunities within the formal, non-formal and informal curriculum dimensions to inculcate the desired values in all learners. For example, the ongoing curriculum reform in Kenya recognizes that global citizenship are is important to the socio-economic development and stability of the country, in the same way that competencies in academics are important. Indeed, citizenship forms one of the seven core competencies that the curriculum is based on while values form one of the four pillars in the envisaged curriculum.
The Competency Based Curriculum also calls for a shift from content based textbooks to workbooks where learners are in charge of their own learning materials for values nurturing should begin at an early stage while children are still acquiring literacy skills and preferably in mother tongue. This may include true or fictional stories that may stay in the child’s mind and influence that behavior. In the creation of each story, each image, each piece of information, each exercise, is the potential for transferring values, attitudes and actions related to global citizenship (Sinclair M. edited 2013).
How has the implementation of the Learning to Live Together Programme helped nurture interfaith and/or intercultural learning towards bridging divides in society? (600 words)
LTLT has facilitated interfaith and intercultural learning by recognizing the fact that we have religious and cultural diversity in Kenya. Nominations to participate in different workshops and meetings took into consideration this reality as much as was possible. This provided rich engagements during the trainings and meetings. Indeed all the three major faiths were represented during the trainings of curriculum developers and also during the conference. These are:
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Christianity
Gender balance was ensured in selecting participants for the workshops.
A deliberate effort was also made to ensure that in the course of the training days all the faiths represented were accorded a day to give devotion / offer prayer in their respective faiths before the sessions began
The trainings included a session on interfaith and intercultural engagements either through a world café, group work or gallery walks. There are very few opportunities for interfaith conversations and these opportunities were really appreciated by both the participants.
Opportunities for different communities to present their culture, music and dance were very enriching and facilitated appreciation of diversity. This included such activities as the drumming circles and cultural evening.
The in-depth exploration of the 4 values in LTLT provided a convergent point for all ethnic groups , cultures and religions. This facilitated closer working relations.
Further The Basic Education Curriculum Framework in Kenya is based on six principles. One of the guiding principles is Diversity and Inclusion.There are two dimensions in the guiding principle of diversity and inclusion. First, the Framework will guide learners to appreciate Kenya’s diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, language, culture, and religion. The second dimension relates to the fact that learners are different in terms of their learning needs and abilities and these differences need to be respected and valued within an inclusive learning environment. Inclusion will entail ensuring that all learning institutions accommodate all learners regardless of their physical, emotional, intellectual, or any other need. It involves provision of reasonable accommodation characterized by flexibility, responsiveness and support. The Framework recognizes that not all learners are academically gifted but considers every learner’s social and cognitive capabilities, their needs and desires, and respects the differences in the way children learn. The ultimate aim is to guarantee basic education for every learner according to their abilities and needs.
The other key principle is Community Service Learning which is a new and critical aspect in the reformed curriculum in Kenya. This is a form of experiential education that enables students to apply their knowledge and skills in a different setting. Teachers then support students to analyze what they have learned by taking part in this activity and how it might be applied to their academic and personal development. Community service learning entails a balanced emphasis on both students’ learning and addressing real needs in the community. Learning outcomes are linked to meaningful human, safety, educational, and environmental needs that are co-determined with community partners and service recipients. The service experience is brought back to the classroom to enhance learning. Students work on real problems that make academic learning relevant while simultaneously enhancing their social skills, analytical ability, civic and ethical responsibility, self-efficacy, and career development. This will go a long way to facilitate interfaith and intercultural learning.
Please give some examples to show your resourcefulness, creativity and synergy in working with different stakeholders to implement and sustain ethics education programs. (600 words)
KICD recognizes the significant role played by other actors in Value Based Education. There is need to go beyond traditional working in silos that have divided stakeholders and replace it with networks of partnerships working together to leverage on each other’s strengths. KICD seeks to forge partnerships and collaboration with the various actors in Values Based Education. This will create synergies and minimize duplication in the implementation of a Values Based Education.
In view of this, KICD planned the workshops with key stakeholders to dialogue and reflect on the framework for adopting a Values Based Education Approach in the envisaged curriculum reform. KICD also organized a conference where all key stakeholders were represented. In the conceptualization of VbE , KICD sought the expertise of Arigatou International and Aga Khan Foundation among others. KICD with partners explored the Global perspectives on VbE and Identified local best practices provided by the Aga Khan Foundation. At Aga Khan Academies we strive to be:
Inquirers Knowledgeable
Thinkers Communicators
Principled Open-minded
Caring Courageous
Balanced Reflective
Leaders Stewards
“ The Aga Khan Academies will also have their own areas of special emphasis, including: an explicit concern for the value of pluralism, a strong emphasis on the ethical dimensions of life, a more specialized knowledge of how global economics work…a focus on comparative political systems…and the broad study of a variety of world cultures.”
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan , 2006
By giving students a deep grounding in their local context and an understanding of global issues they show what can be done to improve people’s quality of life. By developing dispositions in students they create a basis for the ways in which they can take action. Values should be embedded explicitly and implicitly into the work of the school. The focus should be on students acting ethically, not just talking about ethics. There is need to make ethical questions a choice between ‘right’ and ‘right’, rather than just ‘right’ and ‘wrong ‘and get learners to think through the reasoning that underpins their choices – what are they prioritizing when they choose? Understand why some people might make different choices in the same situation. Other critical areas of concern in VbE ARE:
• Focus on students working collaboratively with a range of people and in a range of situations.
• Show examples where collaboration between diverse people has led to specific beneficial outcomes.
• Create tasks where students have to work together to be able to succeed.
• Try to maintain a balance between open-mindedness and complete relativism.
• Content will focus on students’ own and others’ cultures.
• Understand why cultures are as they are.
• Try to get beyond the obvious expressions of culture – food, festivals, fashion etc.
• Show the evolutionary nature of culture.
• Be aware of what students have done already and how you are building on this.
Ways to mainstream Values
Whole school environment, culture and atmosphere.
• Curriculum content.
• Pedagogical approaches.
Co-curricular activities.
Community Service.
School policies and procedures.
Appraisal of teachers and staff.
Collective responsibility.
Student representative council
Transitional Assessment –Exhibition, Personal Project and Extended Essay
Student Leadership and Personal Development.
Mentorship Programs
Student Internship
Building on this KICD has been able to develop a values mainstreaming matrix to guide curriculum developers in mainstreaming of values and pertinent and contemporary issues in the curriculum reform process.
I have also undertaken online courses on “Cooperative Games: Enhancing Children’s Participation and Collaborative Learning”, “Cultural Diversity and Inter Cultural Understanding” and “Global Citizenship Education”.
How have you supported child and youth-led actions / projects based on the Learning to Live Together Programme?
KICD has developed values and citizenship matrices that will guide mainstreaming of values and citizenship in all levels of education. In doing so KICD held consultative meeting with among partners , Arigatou International who presented the Ethics Education framework and the trans formative pedagogy. This has actually informed the curriculum reform process particularity on the values based approach. KICD customized this and has identifies eight core values that are relevant to the local contex that will be mainstreamed in all learning areas and at all levels of education in Kenya.
I have participated in Child/ Youth led project on Amani/ Peace Hangout Briges for Peace. I developed a curriculum for Twaweza (An NGO in Kenya working with high school students: “Hang Out Bridges for Peace” that worked with secondary schools in Kenya and was based on LTLT Approach and Framework.A pilot program aimed forging relationships between high school students in Kenya of different ethnic, racial, social, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
ICT as a solution to build bridges across divides.
Implemented through Amani / Peace Clubs. The objectives of the project include:
Teaching the values of peace, co-existence and national cohesion to selected groups of High School youth.
Demonstrating the power of technology in bridging divides between people, communities and cultures.
Setting up virtual and human networks that share and apply the values of peace, co-existence and cohesion among socially and culturally diverse communities.
Positioning the program as a model solution to the challenge of youth radicalization in Kenya.
The projects themes are:
National cohesion, national values and principles, peace, and coexistence of Kenya’s diverse peoples for inclusive development
Positive role modeling
The role of technology in building bridges between communities and cultures.
The project uses the following strategies:
Networks
Amani Peace Clubs
Cross-cultural dialogue
Peer-to-peer collaboration
Technology as a mediator through Student Google Hangouts
Enlisting support and participation of key actors
Students from Matuga Girls High School, Nairobi School & Arya Girls engage in offline and online activities.
Sessions guided by the curriculum topics – Self Identity, Good Character, National Integration, Peaceful Conflict Resolution, National Values and Principles of Governance & Leadership and Integrity.
Clubs engage in online and offline activities on alternate weeks.
During the Hangouts they share their ideas, learning experiences and undertake co-creation projects with Amani Clubs in the other participating schools.
Amani Hangout Bridges Activities allow students to engage in :-
Learning about themselves & others.
Inter cultural dialogue and understanding.
Co-creation of content.
Project is still ongoing and club members participated in Safer Internet Day on 7th Feb 2017.
