Early Childhood Care and Education in Kenya

Abstract

Recent years have seen a global endeavor to prioritize early childhood care and education as a
\nfoundation for later learning and development, as evidenced by the Global Guidelines for Early
\nChildhood Education and Care in the 21st Century (Association for Childhood Education
\nInternational/World Organization for Early Childhood, 1999). Such efforts are a response to a
\nvariety of complex social issues and economic trends. These forces, which are referred to here as
\n"complex family stressors," include, but are not limited to, societal changes due to
\nindustrialization, the increased number of women with young children entering the labor force,
\nfamilies with two working parents, a rise in the number of single parents, and the demise of
\ntraditional systems of child care and extended family support systems (Driscoll & Nagel, 2002;
\nGraves, Gargiulo, & Sluder, 1996).
\nThis article will provide an overview of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Kenya.
\nSpecific emphasis is placed on the historical development of ECCE, the administrative
\norganization, the collaboration among various agencies in Kenya, ECCE curriculum, and
\nteachers' professional training. A relatively young profession in Kenya, ECCE has experienced
\ntremendous growth at all levels.
\nDefinitions of early childhood care and education differ around the world (Swiniarski,
\nBreitborde, & Murphy, 1999). The more industrialized nations consider early childhood to be the
\nperiod from birth through age 8 (Essa, 1999; Wortham, 2000), while developing nations focus on
\nbirth through age 6 (Eville-Lo & Mbugua, 2001; UNICEF, 2002). Regardless of such
\ndeterminations, the increased interest in early childhood education around the world reflects
\nrespective nations' and/or societies' particular philosophical beliefs about children (Graves et al.,
\n1996). Accordingly, children may be viewed as: growing plants that need nurturance, miniature
\nadults, natural and national resources that need to be nurtured, and/or as future investments
\ncritical to the sustenance of a society and its ability to compete in the technological age (Essa,
\n1999).
\nThe belief that early learning begets later learning and success, just like early failure breeds later
\nfailure, has been validated in both economic and educational research (Boocock, 1995;
\nHeckman, 1999). According to the World Development Report (Jaycox, 1992), education and
\neconomic development are positively correlated, making education intrinsic to development.
\nTherefore, the potential long-term benefits for children's cognitive and social development
\n(Barnett, 1995; Gonzalez-Mena, 2000) have inspired increased interest in early childhood
\neducation and care. This interest continues to be championed by UNICEF's health and nutrition
\nprograms (UNICEF, 2002).
\nThe Historical Development of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
\nSituated on the eastern coast of Africa, Kenya gained its independence from British colonial rule
\nin 1963. Nearly half of Kenya's population of 30 million is below the age of 15 (World Fact
\nBook, 2001). The infant mortality rate is 67.99 per 1,000 live births, while the life expectancy is
\n46.5 years for men and 48.4 years for women (World Almanac, 2002). Kenya is a multilingual
\nand multicultural nation, with 42 different languages spoken, including Bantu, Arabic, and
\nNilotic (Bogonko, 1992). English is the official language and the main medium of instruction
\nfrom preschool to tertiary levels of education. Ki-Swahili is the national language and is taught
\nfrom preschool to high school. As a result, most children in Kenya are fluent in both languages,
\nin addition to the vernacular spoken at home. This multilingualism heightens Kenyans'
\nunderstanding of other cultures.
\nKenya is the only African nation with an established early childhood education program, and the
\ninitiative has had a significant impact on its citizens. Kenyans perceive education as a key to
\nsuccess in life, facilitating social mobility and personal development (Nkinyangi, 1982). A
\nnumber of theoretical perspectives focus on education's pivotal role in human growth and
\ndevelopment (Mbugua-Murithi, 1997). The modernization theorists contend that education
\ntransforms individual values, beliefs, and behaviors, which leads to development (Benavot,
\n1992). As a result, Kenya has seen a clamoring for and expansion of education at all levels
\n(Mutero, 2001; Mwiria, 1990), including nursery schools, child care centers, kindergartens, and
\npreschools.
\nThe first recorded school for young children in Kenya was founded at Rabai (a coastal province)
\nin 1886 by the Church Missionary Societies (Bogonko, 1992; Eshiwani, 1989). The first early
\ncare centers can be traced to the 1940s, when British colonists established centers to serve both
\nEuropean and Asian children. During the same period, the colonial government established early
\nchildhood care centers for Kenyan children living on the tea, coffee, and sugar plantations. These
\ncenters were set up in response to Mau Mau ...