Subduing illiteracy and marginalization in Kenya: Inclusive education approach

Abstract

The world today is faced with a growing number of persons who are excluded from meaningful participation in the economic, social, political, cultural and educational life of their communities. Since independence, Kenyan leaders have taken special care for formulating some special provisions of education to enhance the socio-economic status of backward sections and envisage all round development of the most deprived social sections known as marginalized communities (MCs). Effective machinery should be created to review old educational policies to reduce the inequality in education. Various approaches to alleviate this exclusion have not sufficiently met the emerging challenges to meeting the needs of children and youth who are vulnerable to exclusion and marginalization. Marginalized groups develop a sense of hopelessness and develop revenge tendencies resulting into crime. They pursue alternative primitive ways like rustling and robbery to accumulate wealth. Education approaches such as mobile schools, flexible curriculum, use of ICT and specialist educators should be used. The result of this should be inclusion and mainstreaming of children into school life and later as adults into community social and cultural life in general. This reduces vulnerability to political and economic exploitation. Education for All must take account of the needs of the poor and the most disadvantaged including working children, remote rural dwellers and nomads, and ethnic and linguistic minorities, young people and adults affected by conflict, HIV/AIDS, hunger and poor health and those with special learning needs. This paper aims to map out inclusion approaches in education in order to provide access and quality in basic education for all children and young people so that their needs are accommodated in mainstream of education whether it is formal or non-formal.