This archive report was first published on 23 August 2020.
On August 23, 2020, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in Kenya made a significant announcement regarding the upcoming community learning program. According to the TSC, teachers who fail to participate in the program will not receive their salaries.
As of last week, the TSC had registered over 224,494 teachers for the program, accounting for 67% of the 337,432 teachers employed by the commission. The registration process required teachers to sign up with education officials in their locality to facilitate planning of face-to-face lessons.
The community learning program aims to reach over 10 million learners in public schools that are not offering virtual lessons, similar to many private academies. The program targets children who have been out of school since March when schools were shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program has received support from the two main teachers' unions, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers. However, Kuppet has expressed opposition to the provision of a risk allowance proposed by KNUT.
Under the program, classes will consist of 15 children, and teachers will be required to engage learners in various activities, including life skills and values such as weeding, cultivating, grazing animals, storytelling, planting, debating life issues, and hygiene. Teachers will also provide guidance, counseling, and psychosocial support, as well as offer learning activities in reading and numeracy and other subjects of interest to learners.
Grading of learners will be permitted, with teachers adopting group work and emphasizing peer-to-peer learning. According to a TSC draft guideline document, 'The teachers should use discussion groups during learning and even grading can be done among peers.'
