The State Department for Basic Education took a significant step today by hosting the entry meeting for the Kenya Primary Education and Equity for Learning (KPEEL) Program Technical Mission at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Nairobi. This event marks a crucial juncture in Kenya’s journey towards educational reform and equity.

The KPEEL Technical Mission is a critical exercise designed to identify gaps within the education sector and devise strategic measures to address them. Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, took the opportunity to underscore the Ministry of Education’s commitment to implementing the recommendations set forth by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

Dr. Belio Kipsang emphasized that His Excellency the President has made a solemn commitment to the Kenyan people, assuring that the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) will be meticulously executed. He highlighted the timeliness of KPEEL funding, aligning with the Ministry’s ongoing reforms in the education sector. The collaboration with development partners, including the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the LEGO Foundation, is seen as instrumental in ensuring the successful implementation of these reforms.

“We have to align the funding and investments in the education sector with the government agenda,” remarked Dr. Belio. He extended his gratitude to these organizations for their substantial financial support, amounting to USD 317.1 million for the KPEEL Program.

One significant aspect of KPEEL’s design is its alignment with the National Education Sector Support Programme (NESSP) for 2023-2027. NESSP prioritizes six critical areas aimed at addressing disparities in access to quality basic education, which include access and participation, equity and inclusiveness, quality and relevance, governance and accountability.

A noteworthy feature of the KPEEL Program is that it represents the first Program for Results (PforR) undertaken by the State Department for Basic Education. Under this arrangement, the government allocates resources to implement interventions mutually agreed upon with donors. The reimbursement for these investments is contingent upon the verification of achieved results by an independent verifier.

The positive impact of the KPEEL Program is already discernible within the education sector. It has contributed significantly to the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), the construction of additional classrooms, capacity building for institutional managers, reforms within Teacher Training Colleges, addressing teacher shortages, and the provision of learning assistive devices for Special Needs Education (SNE) learners.

The entry meeting witnessed the presence of various education stakeholders and partners, including Basic Education Director General Dr. Elyas Abdi, representatives from the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education Secretariat, and officials from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), CEOs, and Directors from the State Department for Basic Education. These collaborative efforts highlight Kenya’s unwavering commitment to transforming its education system and ensuring equitable access to quality education for all its citizens.