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Arid And Semi-Arid Lands (ASL’s)

Unique Challenges

Unique Challenges in Education Across the Five Counties:

  • Nomadic groups lag behind in national statistics for enrolment rates, participation, classroom performance, gender balance, achievement, and progression.
  • Factors like limited access, poor teaching quality, teacher shortages, and inadequate materials contribute to low enrolments and exam performance.
  • Recent violence, including terrorist attacks on schools, has impacted educational institutions, students, and staff, raising safety concerns for teachers from other regions.
  • Studies reveal significant percentages of children not attending school, low enrolment rates, and literacy disparities, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
  • High pupil-teacher ratios, a shortage of qualified teachers, and disparities in textbook availability further challenge education provision.
  • Children with disabilities encounter barriers to education due to social stigma, poverty, lack of assistive devices, transportation, and insufficient specialized teachers and schools.
  • Violence related to conflict, radicalization, and terrorism affects children and women, while many school leavers struggle to find employment, leading some into crime or insurgent groups.

CODE Project

  • Target: Primary and secondary schools, community libraries in under-resourced Northern Frontier Counties of Kenya: Wajir, Tana River, Marsabit, Isiolo, and Garissa.
  • Aim: Enhance teaching, learning, and assessment quality.
  • Method: Utilize digital learning programs (online and offline) to reach remote areas.
  • Goal: Overcome geographical barriers, provide educational opportunities.
  • Strategy: Leverage digital technology to improve educational outcomes and empower individuals in marginalized regions.
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Nature of the challenges to education in ASALs
  • Exodus of teachers from North Eastern Kenya due to security threats, particularly attacks by Al Shabaab militants, impacting education.
  • Many teachers, mostly from other parts of the country, leaving, resulting in understaffed schools.
  • Factors like drought and the Covid-19 pandemic exacerbating the situation, leading to approximately 1.2 million children out of school.
  • Despite local authorities' efforts, such as chiefs conducting door-to-door visits to encourage school attendance, many students unable to access education due to safety concerns.
  • Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers proposing arming and training teachers in the region to defend themselves and their students, highlighting the urgent need for security measures for effective learning.
Addressing Security Concerns in Education: A Comprehensive Approach
  • Introducing armed teachers into schools requires careful consideration due to potential significant consequences.
  • Organizations like CODE prioritize the safety of non-resident staff or volunteers by implementing stringent security protocols, such as refraining from publishing names or pictures of members or pupils.
  • Intervention in the region primarily occurs through online platforms to mitigate the risk of targeted reprisals.
  • Goal: Overcome geographical barriers, provide educational opportunities to underserved communities in the Northern Frontier Counties.
  • Moving forward, a comprehensive approach involving government intervention, community engagement, and enhanced security measures is essential to address security concerns in North Eastern Kenya and ensure access to quality education for all children in the region.