It was an honor to be recognized as part of the larger community promoting lifelong learning in Kenya at a recent conference organized by UNESCO. It was an edifying experience for our CEO as he shared Elimu’s efforts on the subject as the only representative from civil society asked to present. The input from various government and NGO stakeholders included programs on Education in Prisons, Adult and Continued Education, Distance Learning as a lifelong learning tool, and the role of research. We share some key insights in this article
Prisons apply education as a rehabilitative tool helping offenders keep up with their learning during incarceration and thus offer hope of a better future past their imprisonment. In this sense, education offers offenders alternative paths and reduces recidivism.
The Directorate of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) caters for the needs of school dropouts giving them a chance to build relevant literacy skills to thrive in the job market. The goal is for all Kenyans to access education at whatever stages of life.
Vocational Training Centers play a huge role in ensuring that all learners can pursue tertiary education through skills development with financial sponsorships to needy students. Through such access, many diploma holders have found doors opened to pursuing degree courses at the university level.
“Education is a foundation for sustainable development”
Universities in the country have adopted distance learning as a way of improving access to higher education for all persons seeking to upskill regardless of their location. This approach has also helped train adult educators who go on to be very resourceful in the implementation of adult and continued education.
Research is a key factor to the successful implementation of lifelong learning approaches across the country. The Directorate of Research, Science and Technology supports school research projects as avenues of knowledge mobilization in the journey towards achieving the 17 sustainable development goals. This essentially motivates learners across learning stages to cultivate an attitude of continued learning.
Overall, it is clear that for the concept of lifelong learning to be fully integrated into education systems, there is a strong need for partnerships and collaborations among key stakeholders. There is also a great need to allocate more resources to research, which will in turn guide the formation of policy frameworks in lifelong learning.
Trends in economic advancement and the growing speed of technological changes and globalization make it clear that learning can no longer be constrained to formal learning spaces. It is apparent that the young and old alike keep up with these trends by continuously seeking avenues for learning.
Community learning centres offer this opportunity for continued learning to all persons and should thus offer innovative approaches to providing education for life. Elimu Resource Centre has been offering such lifelong learning approaches and opportunities to the community, especially for under-served and vulnerable populations, since we opened our doors in 2016. Our efforts have been appreciated by Malindi stakeholders.
Our participation at this recent UNESCO-sponsored conference highlights the fact that we are now gaining recognition farther afield. We are happy to have the opportunity to share our knowledge and train others in delivering meaningful learning for life! To find out how we integrate these approaches at Elimu Resource Centre click here and read more.
