Government seeking data to reform the education sector

Homa Bay,

Tuesday December 5, 2023,

KNA by Sitna Omar

A team of policymakers, researchers, Civil Society Organizations and academia is collaborating to gather evidence-based data for reforming the education sector through Education Evidence for Action conferences.

At Tom Mboya University's Homa Bay branch, a community of evidence producers discussed generating evidence to inform education policies.

The Chair of Education Evidence for Action conferences, Dr. John Mugo, stated the main agenda of the conference is to highlight challenges facing the education system through evidence and data.

The discussions focused on factors that influence learning in different schools and the potential of data and evidence to enhance learning in different settings.

 Mugo highlighted challenges of implementing the Competency-based Curriculum (CBC) in the country, citing the need for researchers to monitor, implement, and generate data with teachers and parents.

He added that researchers and data users have discussed new knowledge gained two years ago, highlighting how data and evidence can aid better decision-making for government, parents, teachers, and learners.

Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of good evidence in policy making, as it saves time and money on research and to addresses national needs, adding that building a culture of accepting evidence is crucial for effective government decisions.

Dr. Darius Ogutu, Director of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education, focused attention on the conference as a joint effort, where they seek to make headway by holding dialogues and agreeing on the way forward regarding key issues affecting the sector.

He said the government is currently examining the available evidence to understand the current state of the education sector in the country.

 “As a ministry and policy makers, we are facilitating the dialogue and will continue our engagements with like-minded people who bring to the table solutions to challenges in the education sector to enable the government ensure successful reforms therein,” he stated.

Courtesy; KNA