Kenya calls for inclusive policies to boost school enrolment in Africa

NAIROBI, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) — Sub-Saharan African countries should enact policies that advance inclusivity and equity to attain universal enrollment in primary and secondary schools, senior officials said on Tuesday at a forum in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
Kenya is hosting a three-day conference themed “Policy Dialogue: Leading Inclusion and Belonging in Schools,” bringing together senior policymakers, education experts, representatives of donor agencies, and civil society to discuss novel ways to boost school enrollment in Africa.
The event, co-hosted by the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) and the British Council, is also dedicated to sharing best practices for enhancing access to education among girls and children with special needs on the continent.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education Belio Kipsang said that Kenya has rallied behind Africa’s quest to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive, quality, and equitable education for all.
“Inclusive education is about giving every school-going child the right and an opportunity to access quality and relevant education. These children need quality education to develop skills and realize their full potential,” Kipsang said.
The East African nation has enacted forward-looking policies and legislation to help realize universal enrollment in primary and secondary schools, becoming a pacesetter in Africa, Kipsang observed.
He noted that school enrollment for children with disabilities and those drawn from marginalized regions has increased, aided by affirmative action, investments in modern learning facilities, and training of additional tutors.
Kipsang also stressed that for African countries to attain 100 percent school enrollment, they should address teachers’ shortages, modernize and equip learning facilities, and create awareness of the importance of childhood literacy at the grassroots.
Wongani Grace Taulo, regional education advisor for Eastern and Southern Africa at UNICEF, said the continent should ramp up education financing to realize socio-economic transformation, cohesion, and peace.
According to the education advisor, African countries should also fight cultural myths that have derailed school enrollment among girls and children with disabilities, besides leveraging political goodwill, technologies, innovations, and advocacy to boost learning outcomes.
She underscored the commitment of multilateral institutions to help the continent establish education systems that are inclusive, equitable, and accessible to all children. ■