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SNV/WORLD VISION EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES
Training of
School Management Committees (SMC)
Chepkopegh Division, West Pokot District
Held at Nasukuta Livestock Improvement Centre,
26th to 27th March, 2009
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Acronyms and Abbreviations Used:
AEO - Area Education Officer
ASAL - Arid and Semi-Arid Lands
BoG - Board of Governors
DEB - District Education Board
DEO - District Education Officer
ECD - Early Childhood Development
FGM - Female Genital Mutilation
FPE - free Primary Education
GoK - Government of Kenya
IGP - Income Generating Project
INSETS - In-service Education for Teachers
KNUT - Kenya National Union of Teachers
NGO - Non-Governmental Organization
PTA - Parents Teachers Association
SDP - School Development Plan
SEP - Special Education Needs
SIP - School Improvement Plan
SMC - School Management Committee
SNV - Netherlands Development Organization
SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
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Preamble:
he Government of Kenya’s overall goal in education for 2012 is to reduce illiteracy by increasing access
to education, improving the transition rate from primary to secondary schools, and raising the quality
and relevance of education. Other goals include the integration of all special needs education into
learning and training institutions, achieving an 80% adult literacy rate, increasing the school enrolment rate
to 95% and increasing the transition rates to technical institutions and universities from 3% to 8% by 20121.
One of the key specific strategies will involve integrating early childhood into primary education.
Since rolling out the Free Primary Education (FPE) programme the GoK, development partners and NGOs
involved in implementation of education programmes still face challenges ranging from low or poor
enrolment, retention and transition in various parts of the country. Some overriding factors including
poverty, negative cultural practices such as early child marriages, FGM, moranism associated to cattle
rustling and laid back attitudes towards education, moreso of the girl-child, inhibit progress. This has tended
to affect the performance of many schools in rural areas in general, but more particularly in the arid and
semi-arid areas that are characterized by the harsh arid environments coupled by, sometimes, a nomadic
lifestyle.
Most children in the arid parts of the North Rift region face many challenges that include hunger, disease,
lack of facilities and basic needs such as food, water, adequate shelter, school uniform, books, etc. These
have tended to accelerate the drop-out rates in lower primary especially among girls who are married off
as a means of acquiring ‘some wealth’ for families.
It is hoped that the GoKs plans to build at least one boarding primary school in each constituency in the
pastoral districts to ensure that learning is not disrupted as people move from one place to the other and
the desire to roll out the voucher system programme in 5 poor districts come 20302 can be realized sooner,
rather than later.
To complement GoK efforts in finding solutions to the prevailing challenges facing education, a number of
stakeholders including support NGOs have come up with or are in the process of developing strategies
aimed at directing efforts to cushion the efforts being made. World Vision and SNV/Netherlands
Development Organization are among many other organizations that are involved in supporting GoK
initiatives through various interventions designed to address the prevailing needs among communities. In a
joint empowerment programme aimed at facilitating school management committees (SMC) to play
effective roles in management of schools, World Vision and SNV have rolled out a training programme in
the larger Pokot comprising West Pokot, Central pokot and North Pokot districts that are currently on-going.
Other districts of Baringo and Turkana are also expected to benefit from the programme. The general
objectives of the SMCs training programme is to among others facilitate them:
with skills and understanding of roles and responsibilities;
to establish contemporary /underlying issues emerging in schools management;
to impart SMCs with basic financial management, records/book keeping skills;
to facilitate SMCs with skills to develop schools improvement plans (SIPs);
to facilitate SMCs in developing strategies to enhance high performance standards in schools and
benchmarks for high enrolment and retention;
to create awareness on some general issues e.g. HIV/AIDS, water and sanitation, FGC, etc.
The workshop curriculum entails the following process:
Ice-breaking including introductions and expectations;
Group work and presentations in plenary: sketch description of the current situation in schools;
Group work and presentations in plenary: visualization of ideal situation/desired state in 3 years;
Group work and presentations in plenary: developing [SIPs] strategies of ideal/preferred situation to
address emerging issues;
Way forward.
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Kenya: Vision 2030 Popular Version
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Kenya: Vision 2030 Popular Version
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Proceedings Day One: 26th March, 2009
Preliminaries:
he two-day workshop for School Management Committees (SMC) in Chepkopegh Zone of West Pokot
District was convened between the 26th and 27th March 2009, bringing together over 50 participants. The
venue of the training was the Nasukuta Livestock Improvement Centre in Chepareria. Representatives from
11 Primary Schools including Nasukuta, Plelekan, Pserum, Cheptiangwa, Chepkopegh, Pusian, Shalpogh,
Chematong, Toyopo, Naramam and Chesra attended the training sessions, co-facilitated by
SNV/Netherlands Development Organization (North Rift Portfolio) and World Vision Kenya, North Rift Region
(Marich Pass ADP).
Introduction and Opening Remarks:
Participants
introduced
themselves by
name, school
represented
and position
on the school
committee.
The official
opening
function was
conducted by Mr. Godfrey Mwanga, AEO Chepkopegh Zone on behalf of the DEO Central Pokot District.
He thanked both World Vision and SNV for taking the lead and concern in education through supporting
the SMC trainings and urged the participants to take the messages conveyed seriously as they embarked
on sharing information on schools improvement with the wider committees and parents in respective
schools. He also challenged them to strive to ensure the school syllabus is covered to improve
performances. Parents representatives were also urged to support education through infrastructural
development. Reciting from Jeremiah 1:5, the AEO told participants that nothing happens accidentally but
within God’s divine purposes. He compared the different characteristics among the SMCs to the 12
disciples and urged them to do what must be done.
On his part, Kizito Wangalwa, SNV representative urged participants to make efforts to improve the
standards of education in schools. He encouraged them to strive to seek what is feasible and beneficial to
the community and the children.
Workshop Norms Workshop Expectations
Observe good time management;
Respect one another’s views;
Switch-off phones or place them in silent mode;
Avoid disturbance through unnecessary
movement.
To acquire skills on how to manage schools;
To understand the roles of SMCs in schools;
To be inspired and renew energies;
How to manage school funds and resources;
To get financial assistance for our schools;
To make new friends and contacts.
Workshop Objective
To empower SMCs to be able to exercise their roles
and responsibilities towards improving their schools
so as to achieve high performance.
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Workshop Sponsors’ Perspectives
World Vision:
As a Christian organization working all over the world, World Vision works with children, families, communities and
sponsors all over the world to improve the well-being of children. We believe that the best way to help children is
to work with them, together with their families and communities, to make changes that last. Child sponsorship
builds relationships between children, their families, sponsors and World Vision staff. These relationships enable
mutual transformation by sharing resources, hope and experiences in overcoming poverty through child-focused
development programmes. World Vision’s programmes are based upon Biblical foundations in John 20:10 as
Child Sponsorship Programme: which establishes a relationship between a sponsor and a child in a way that
personalizes the challenges of poverty and development, and enables the sponsor to participate in making a
difference in the life of the child. The sponsors’ contributions help provide necessities such as improved health
and educational opportunities, and also support vital development work in the communities where the
sponsored children live. Sponsored children participate and benefit from these programmes, and the sponsors
are able to receive regular progress updates. Programmes include:
Health: Education: HIV and AIDS response: Water and sanitation:
Economic
development and
agricultural
improvements:
Working with
communities and
health partners to
improve children’s
health. Through
preventative measures
such as good nutrition,
breast feeding,
hygiene and
vaccinations,
communities are able
to help their children
grow up healthy to
reach their full
potential.
Engaging with
teachers, schools and
communities to
improve learning
outcomes in
education, build
confidence and teach
values-based life skills.
We work to ensure that
all children have
access to quality
education.
Through the Hope
Initiative, reducing the
impact of HIV and
AIDS through
prevention, care and
advocacy. We work
with children,
communities and faith
leaders to mobilize
care for orphans and
vulnerable children,
and to prevent further
spread of the disease.
Working with
communities to dig
wells, set up pumps,
construct latrines and
irrigate crops. Safe
water and sanitation
systems support
children’s health. Many
children are able to
study and stay in
school because they
spend less time
carrying water each
day from distant
sources.
Helping families access
loans, financial know-
how, and improved
agricultural practices.
This leads to increased
family incomes,
improved nutrition,
better health and
greater education
opportunities for
children.
SNV Perspective:
Under the motto: “Connecting People’s Capacity”, SNV/Netherlands Development Organisation works in
countries within the East, Central and Southern African region to allow for the effective change of expertise
and emergence of regional communities of professionals. As a capacity builder, SNV works with clients and
partners to tackle specific regional issues. The organization has chosen to focus on corporate Impact
Areas: Basic Services: Universal primary education with emphasis on quality and girls’ education; Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene; and Renewable Energy with a focus on biogas. Production, Income and
Employment: Oil seeds; Livestock; Horticulture; Non-timber forest products; and Pro-poor tourism. In addition
to these sector choices the region has adopted bio-fuels, vocational training, coffee and grains as pilots in
selected countries. Governance, which includes gender, HIV/Aids, peace building and sustainability, are
central to our work. In Kenya, the organization has also chosen to reflect on emerging issues in relation to
MDGs and the Vision 2030. In the North Rift, SNV continues to strengthen capacity in different areas that
include Turkana, Baringo, Pokot, Mt. Elgon, Keiyo, Marakwet and is dedicated to a society where all people
enjoy the freedom to pursue their own sustainable development. It contributes to this by strengthening the
capacity of local organizations to deliver services effectively.
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Setting Workshop Objectives:
Participants were probed to state what the workshop aimed to achieve, upon which they were unanimous that
the hoped to acquire knowledge and skills on proper management of their schools so as to have the ability to
deal with emerging issues and trends in education for better academic performance. This confirmed the
objective of the workshop. To ensure everyone followed, the discussions were conducted in English, Kiswahili and
Pokot.
Group Task #1: Composition and Roles of SMC/Stakeholders
Participants were divided into groups to:
describe the composition of the SMC;
list down the roles of various stakeholders such as: parents; teachers; old boys/girls; development
partners/NGOs; local leaders; education officials; head teachers; pupils, etc in schools management.
Presentations were made in plenary and after harmonization, the agreed composition of the SMCs according to
the Education Act was placed as follows:
The composition of the SMC will constitute the following: Other stakeholders:
8 Class representatives
3 Sponsor representatives
2 Representing DEB
1 Secretary [H/T]
Ex-officios [AEOs, Councilor, MP, Chief, Assistant Chief]
The various roles were outlined as follows:
Roles of the SMC: Sponsors: Parents:
Formulating and implementing
school budget
Maintain school discipline
Employ and fire school staff
Monitor school development
Maintain school relationship with
the community and larger society
Maintain school history
Monitor school performance and
general academic standards
Implement government policies
Mobilize resources and manage
them effectively
Promoting spiritual values
School development
Guiding and counseling
Elect SMC
Contribute funds in aid of school
development and pupil’s welfare
Liaise with teachers in maintaining
discipline
Equip children with personal
amenities
Provide schools resources
Provide parental guidance
Approve school development plans
Local Leaders/Community/ NGOs Education Officials: Head Teacher
Mobilize/reinforce community to
build schools
Encourage parents to take children
to school and minimize drop-out
rates
Act as school sponsors
Mediate between the school and
others leaders/authority
Organize in-service training
Facilitate election of SMC
Monitor, assess and evaluate
curriculum
Act as link between the school and
Ministry of Education
Relay/monitor implementation of
education policies
Prepare school’s curriculum
Discipline teachers
Motivate teachers and learners
Ensure prudent management of
school resources
Offer advisory services
Head of the school
Secretary of SMC
Classroom teacher
Chairs staff meetings
TSC agent
Chief administrator in the school
Coordinates and implements
school activities
Accounting officer
Technical adviser to SMC
Delegates responsibility
The Teacher: The Pupil:
Set and administer evaluation based tests
Organize subject panels
Supervise, teach, advise and discipline pupils
Offer guidance and counseling to pupils/parents
Equip themselves with learning skills
Follow school rules and regulations
Assist teachers in the smooth running of the school
Promote the school motto by living it
Take care of school property e.g. books, desks, etc
Promote high academic standards by working hard
Observe punctuality
Develop a sense of willingness and commitment to learn
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Box 1: Group Activity:
Picture your school as it is now;
Draw or describe it by the name, address, division, district, school motto, school vision, school mission;
Draw a descriptive map with route(s) to your school;
Describe the enrolment: how many boys/girls;
Describe the staffing – number of teachers per class;
Describe the physical facilities in your school, e.g. number of desks, classrooms, toilets, etc and how they look like
(condition);
How does the general environment in and around the school look like?
Do you have (adequate) water in your school?
Describe any other special features or attributes in your school.
(Above) Participants make their presentations and below, group discussions in progress
Group Task #2: Situational Analysis:
Participants grouped into individual schools for a situational analysis. The exercise entailed each group to
conduct an envisioning process in which they were asked to make a description of their schools situation as
it is currently.
Presentations were done in plenary.
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Box 2: Group Activity:
Vision:
How do you envisage your school to look like in the next three years and beyond? Generate a vision for your school:
reflecting the national goals of education;
Informing the overall purpose of your school;
Setting standards of behavior of pupils and the desired relationship between them and teachers;
Providing the overall criteria for evaluating success of your school.
Mission:
Develop some general inspiring sentiments that are aimed at stimulating your school environment:
to provide the best learning environment for pupils to be able to succeed in life;
to work hand in hand with the community for the success of the school;
to instill discipline and self-reliance.
Motto:
Enact a short statement [with catchy words] that somehow summarizes your mission. This should serve as the driving force
towards your schools objectives.
Emerging Issues:
Concerning FGM, parents do not encourage their children to go for the cut. It is a peer thing where
children influence each other as a sign of bravery not realizing its harmful effects. An estimated 200 girls
were circumcised in December 2008 around Parua Primary School against the wishes of their parents;
Child labor is rampant during harvesting of onions. Parents are known to make their children to
participate in the onion harvesting without realizing the crimes they are committing in subjecting their
children to child labor;
Concerning indiscipline (especially among male pupils) experience shows that young boys who have
gone through the rites of passage have the tendency to disrespect female teachers as a sign of
showing their superiority. This stems from negative cultural messages and insinuations against women;
Women tend to shy away from taking responsibilities in schools management. This appears to be a
cultural thing where women are to be seen only and not to be heard;
Transfer of head teachers can impede on the implementation of the planning process;
Delays and/or lack of development funds to schools to complement implementation of the SIPs;
There is a lot of bureaucracy in the Ministry of Education which discourages teachers at grassroots level
from holding any consultations;
Lack of motivation from parents and other stakeholders has always contributed to poor performances
in schools, hence poor results.
Group Task #3: Clarifying the Vision and Mission:
During this session, participants were enlightened on the need to have clear statements of purpose for their
school that inspire excellence and progressiveness. The session was meant to prepare them for the next tax
aimed at opening their minds while developing school management plans.
Day one was concluded in prayer as participants took a break to continue with assignments.
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Box 3: Group Activity (Developing SIPs):
Cover Page:
Indicating the name of the school;
Post office address;
Schools motto;
Period of the SIP (normally 3 years).
Map:
Indicating the school map to the school.
Background information:
When was the school started? How many/Who were the head teachers? What/how is the school enrolment? What/how
is the staff establishment? How has the progression been in terms of academic performance?
What are the guiding principles of the school (motto/vision/mission?
Situational analysis:
Who are the stakeholders; what are their interests/roles?
What are the strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats?
How is the environment?
What are the key result areas/priorities per subsequent planned years in terms of curriculum, building (infrastructure), staff
development, resources?
Building action plan for the year: priority; target; tasks; by when; by who; resources; cost; SMC criteria;
Staff development plan: as above;
Financial requirement(s) for subsequent year(s): activity; resources; cost; source of funds;
Financial requirements for 3-plan years: as above.
Proceedings Day Two: 25th March, 2009
Devotion:
Day two commenced in prayers, followed by a recap for Day One. The recap was done in plenary, with
participants volunteering information on what actually transpired on the day..
Group Task #4: Why Prepare a School Improvement Plan (SIP)?
Participants were introduced to components of school improvement planning. After deliberations in a
question and answer mode, the issues were narrowed down to the following components in developing a
SIP. The SIP is prepared:
To enable the SMC to identify, prioritize and implement projects according to priorities and accomplish
within a stated time frame;
For reference records;
To facilitate monitoring and evaluation;
To facilitate funds mobilization.
A SIP is composed of the following parts:
cover page containing the name of the school, address, title of the documents, the period and if
possible a route map to school;
school background information; school environment; academic performance;
guiding principles, summarizing the motto, vision, mission, etc reflecting the national goals in education;
a situational/SWOT analysis, environmental analysis
key result areas/priorities;
action plans [curriculum/building/staff];
financial requirements
After the introduction participants went into respective groups per school to develop SIPs which were later
presented in plenary.
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Proceedings Day Three: 26th March, 2009
Devotion:
Day three commenced in prayers, followed by a recap for Day Two. The recap was done in plenary, with
participants once more volunteering information on what actually transpired on the day.
There was a brief moment to introduce the concept of the cash book/register whose purposes were
summed up as:
assisting to enhance transparency and accountability on school accounts;
enhancing prudent management of financial resources.
Closing and Way Forward
The chairman of the session expressed sincere gratitude’s on behalf of participants to World Vision, SNV
and Peniel Consult for their good facilitation. He led participants into pledging to fully implement what had
been learnt, saying information is power and therefore participants had been empowered. He urged the
conveners to host more of such workshops from time to time to assist in effective running of schools. Closing
remarks were delivered by Mr. Edward Chepkonga, Manager World Vision Chepareria ADP. He thanked
the participants for their endurance throughout the training and urged them to use the skills acquired in
bettering their schools environment. He also assured them of continued support from World Vision and
other willing partners such as SNV, before declaring the workshop officially closed.
Schedule of Presentation of SIPs to SMCs/Parents in Batei Zone
School Date of Presentation to SMC Date of Presentation to Parents
1) Morpus 18.05.09 25.05.09
2) Cheprogogh 21.05.09 29.05.09
3) Psirwo 28.05.09 12.06.09
4) Kachemogen 22.05.09 19.06.09
5) Ortum Mixed 15.05.09 27.05.09
6) Sebit 21.05.09 12.06.09
7) Parua 12.05.09 19.05.09
8) Kapara 04.06.09 18.06.09
9) Kaporoch 05.06.09 12.06.09
10) Psiywo 15.05.09 22.05.09
11) Kapkepot 15.05.09 03.07.09
12) Penon 12.05.09 09.06.09
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Annex 1: Sample School Improvement Plan
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William Arekai,
Public Health Officer, Pokot
Talks to participants
Annex 2: Public Health
The topics under public health are aimed at empowering the SMCs to
be aware of issues around water and sanitation and also to sensitize
them of the dangers of common diseases including HIV/AIDS. These
messages are aimed at being part of the curriculum so as to enhance
the war against commonly found diseases within communities that can
easily be managed, if avoided all together.
The 10 most common diseases are listed as: malaria, typhoid,
brucellosis, amoebic dysentery, intestinal worm infection, bilharzias,
upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), tuberculosis, sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs), accidents, eye infections, etc.
Environmental management entails the two components, environment
which represents vegetation (trees, grass, soil, building, animals, etc)
and management which entails actions aimed at creating a clean
environment, planting trees, draining stagnant water, providing and
using VIP latrines, providing and using refuse pits, trimming overgrown
grass, spraying for mosquitoes and other harmful phenomena, etc.
Environmental management is necessary as a means of sustaining resources and maintaining good health.
It involves ensuring water sources are conserved and protected and avoiding doing anything that may
contaminate the same environment. Some precautionary actions in sustaining a clean environment
include:
Construction of toilets;
Avoiding bathing in/ or polluting rivers;
Boiling water from suspected sources before drinking;
Treating water before use at household levels.
Poor management of natural resources including cutting down of trees, forest encroachment around the
country are considered to be some of the most dangerous means through which our environment is being
mismanaged. Depleting water resources are directly linked to these dastardly acts that are also linked to
increasing poverty and disease.
HIV/AIDS
HIV stands for human immune virus whereas AIDS is the acronym for acquired immune deficiency
syndrome. The first known case of HIV/AIDS was diagnosed about 1984. AIDS was declared a National
Disaster by the Government of Kenya in 1999. In Kapenguria District Hospital, the first known case on record
was diagnosed in 1988.
The Kiswahili word for AIDS is UKIMWI [Ukosefu wa Kinga Mwilini]. Virusi haviuiwi bali vinauwa kinga ya mwili
hivyo kusababisha maradhi yanayo ambatana na ukimwi. The virus eats the white cells of the body which
are basically the defense cells against dieases. Some clinical features of AIDS can be easily diagnosed,
such as dermatological effects, effects on the central nervous system, meningitis, prolonged dry coughs.
Symptoms of the disease are equally noticeable including progressive weight loss, hair loss and change in
color (from black to silky brown), harpis zosta, formation of dark blue round, itchy/painful shingles all over
the body, collective tissue tumor, prolonged fever, anaemia, etc.
Some of the ways AIDs can be spread include unprotected sex with a person suffering from it (94% of cases
diagnosed), through open wounds, blood transfusion, pregnancy and breast feeding from a suffering
mother to her child, accidents, fluids with high HIV content, FGM, virginal/cervical secretion, STIs as active
agents. Other low agents include saliva, urine, sweat, mucus, tears.
Everyone is currently being encouraged to know their HIV/AIDS status. The disease has no cure yet and is a
great strain to the economy of any country.
