Reorienting education to achieve vision 2030: challenges and barriers

Abstract

Education is the single most important factor essential for economic growth, technological advancement, social-cultural sophistication, healthy living and successful political governance. Nelson Mandela affirms this and states that education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world. Education is more than speaking a foreign language. It encompasses the development of skills and competencies essential to navigate through life, efficiently and effectively perform productive tasks necessary for maintenance and enhancement of life. It therefore has to be looked at elliptically and not just as a process where children or individuals go through a school system. It has to be viewed from the end product also; the graduates who will emerge from this system and the consequent society created. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) processes emphasize the need for stimulating a holistic, integrated and interdisciplinary approach to developing the knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future as well as changes in values, behaviour, and lifestyles. This requires us to reorient education systems, policies and practices in order to empower everyone, young and old, to make decisions and act in culturally appropriate and locally relevant ways to address the problems that threaten our common future. This paper discusses current challenges, presents government proposals for reform and recommends a way forward toward achieving an enabling education sector that supports sustainable development by the year 2030, thus making Kenya a high income nation. The method used was exploratory study and the authors utilized document analysis as a method of data collection by reviewingexisting relevant documents from the ministry of education such as ministry of education reports; commissions and committees’ reports; and policy papers. The study also collected primary data using group discussions and individual key informants from key ministry institutions. Data was analyzed using qualitative techniques and presented using description. There is therefore need to critically look into our education system so as to introduce efficiencies and ensure it effectively produces graduates well equipped for modern day life experiences.