Dubai Cares

The education system in Kenya has faced discrepancies for many years. Accessibility and quality education remain to be overarching issues in the country.

In terms of access, 15-25% of children are enrolled in primary schools and only 37% are enrolled in secondary schools. Additionally, in terms of quality, only 35% of public school teachers in Kenya demonstrated basic knowledge of the curriculum they teach. Teachers in Kenya often lack opportunities for professional development and receive minimal support and mentorship from their supervisors. Lack of training and qualification adversely affects their role as teachers and results in poor quality of learning for students.

Dubai Cares, in partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), is committed to demonstrate the efficacy of Information & Communications Technology (ICT) in improving the learning outcomes of over 119,600 boys and girls in primary education through the use of technology in education. The program focuses on testing and validating models and methods that are cost-effective, efficient and relevant, to help the government in fulfilling its own ambitions and plans for ICT capacity and use in schools nationwide.

Lydiah Nyambura Kimani is a grade 2 teacher at Ng’ombeni Primary School in Kwale County. She teaches a classroom consisting of 76 children. With the help of Dubai Cares program she was trained to integrate ICT into teaching and learning practices. She attended a 12 days training at Waa Primary School where she covered 7 modules. This training program enabled Lydiah to shift from the basic knowledge and curriculum to a more advanced teaching style. Lydiah is thrilled to be introduced to ICT as she says, “ICT has not only changed my personal life by exposing me to modern technologies like smart phones, but it has remarkably shaped my teaching abilities and provides same access to opportunity and information as any teacher or learner in a higher resource and advanced school environment”.

ICT program by Dubai Cares marked a turning point in Lydiah’s 20 year teaching career. With great conviction she said, "I am now a confident 21st century teacher with ICT skills as now my classroom does not consist of basic hardware but more advanced technologies that opens new horizons for an effective learning environment". During one of Lydiah’s lessons, she successfully downloaded pictures of transport and it sparked the student’s interest in learning about the topic of study. She expressed, “Students are excited to learn with the use of ICT tools as it effectively assists their understanding with the help of pictures and information from all around the world along with fun activities and software to enhance their learning”.

Dubai Cares program has greatly enhanced and enriched the learning experience for children and young people. Lastly she adds, “So far the children have read about 10 digital English and 12 Kiswahili stories.  I am grateful to Dubai Cares for empowering me on ICT skills that has become the greatest vehicle for change for all teachers and learners in Kenya".

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