A five-year educational initiative by the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development, East Africa (IED, EA) has trained 2,500 educators across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The program, known as Foundations for Learning (F4L), concluded with a final conference where key findings and recommendations were shared.
The F4L initiative focused on preparing teachers and school leaders to deliver inclusive, competency-based, and future-ready education. The training was designed to build core skills like critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, which are crucial for the implementation of Competency-Based Curricula (CBC) in Kenya.
The initiative has reached the following:
- 717 pre-primary student teachers
- 1,638 primary student teachers
- 40 pre-primary college tutors131 primary college tutors
Additionally, 108 education leaders and officials from the three countries completed a Diploma in Educational Leadership and Management (DELM) program, gaining the skills needed to lead more inclusive and innovative schools.
Ann Gachoya, Director of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education, praised the initiative, stating that the Ministry is also working to scale up teacher training and community engagement. She noted, “Aga Khan University Development programs dedication continues to inspire transformation.”
According to Prof. Jane Rarieya, Dean of IED, EA, the project has been a “catalyst for innovation” in teacher education, with a focus on empowering educators as the most powerful determinant of student outcomes. The institute is now urging Kenya’s Ministry of Education to incorporate the lessons learned from the program into national teacher training and leadership policies.