Strategy for Sustainable Education Concerns of Nomadic Children in Kenya

Abstract

Education is one of the most important human development indicators and a gateway to realizing people's intellectual development dreams and attaining full potential. Its access is therefore a necessary ingredient and is seen as part of the induction process towards self actualization. On the other hand, inaccessibility of the same denies one a chance to grow, which works against attainment of life goals. The current education system in Kenya has seen many changes since independence in 1963, the most recent being the introduction of Free Primary School Education (FPSE) programme in 2003. The programme which is largely an implementation of the UN Millennium Goal 2 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child has made primary school education compulsory for all children in the country. One of the important provisions of the policy is that no Kenyan child should be denied access to primary school education on any basis. However, important as it is, it has several weaknesses one of these being the idea of lumping all children together as though they were a homogenous group with identical needs. In addition, there has been an expansion of school enrolment without equal expansion in other resources including qualified personnel. The foregoing has lowered the quality of education in general and that of the nomadic child in particular. In the spirit of societal integration, the Government of Kenya has come up with the Draft Policy on Nomadic Education to mainstream this segment of the population into the rest of the society. However, the implementation of this policy remains to be effected. Then the million dollar question must be asked: What panacea is available for putting the nomadic child in the mainstream of the education system? What policy reforms can be effected to address the education concerns of the nomadic child? This paper analyses the education system in Kenya, elucidates the environment in which the nomadic children are born and live, spotlights their education concerns and suggest viable strategies for enhancing their access to education.