Launch of the Urban Basic Education Campaign
Launch of the Urban Basic Education Campaign
Speech by British High Commissioner, HE Adam Wood
30 April 2008, Nairobi
Thank you for inviting me here today and giving me the privilege of witnessing such inspiring entertainment. I feel very inspired by the performances of all the children we have seen today.
Worldwide Call for Action
We are half way towards the target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Progress is varied. 2008 is a year of action.
The MDG ‘Call to Action’ was launched in New York in July 2007 by Gordon Brown, Britain’s Prime Minister. He was speaking alongside the UN Secretary General, Ban-ki Moon, to encourage the international community to accelerate progress to reach the MDGs. To mobilise not just governments but business, faith groups, NGOs, cities and professional organisations.
Education is a central pillar of the UN ‘Call to Action’. Every child has a right to learn, yet at the halfway point 72 million children globally do not go to primary school. Many more fail to complete their primary schooling and gain essential literacy and numerical skills. Girls suffer disproportionately, yet there is widespread evidence that educating future mothers, at least to primary level, has one of the most significant impacts on future development.
I congratulate CONCERN and their Kenyan partner organisation, Daraja, for working with UN Habitat and the Kenyan Government to launch the Urban Slum Basic Education Campaign for Kenya today. Education is key to creating and exploiting the opportunities we have as individuals, as communities and as countries. It is the most cost effective, the most all embracing and the most lasting way to make real progress.
It is not just a fundamental human right, but it is something that lifts people out of poverty, and helps them to better themselves. It is at the very heart of fighting poverty, injustice and inequality across the world.
In 2006, the United Kingdom pledged $15 billion – that’s around 945 billion Kenyan shillings - for education in developing countries over ten years, the largest single offer of aid from any G8 country.
Ensuring all children in the world receive good quality primary education is a British priority. Our Prime Minister has a personal commitment to this goal, as witnessed most recently during the French President’s visit to the United Kingdom. This crystallised the UK/France agreement that we would each support eight million children in school in Africa by 2010.
We should remind ourselves that no country has lifted itself out of poverty without investing in educating its people. Successful countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea have singled out education for its role in improving their success.
Kenya
Kenya is making good progress towards achieving the two education-related MDGs. The introduction of Free Primary Education in 2003 brought an additional 1.8 million Kenyan children into school. Net enrolment rate has increased reaching 86.5% in 2006. The pupil to textbook ratios have improved from over 15:1 to 3:1 in lower and 2:1 in upper primary.
Support from Britain
Britain is committed to education in Kenya. I would like to thank the Deputy Director for his recognition of that. Actually in his account of how Britain has supported Kenya, I recall a personal commitment for it was when I was in Kenya before that Britain launched with the Ministry of Education its support for Primary Education through a programme called ‘Spread’. From that programme our support for education in Kenya has developed, and now our Department for International Development (DFID), has supported the implementation of the Ministry of Education’s five year strategic plan, providing funding of 55 million pounds sterling for the five years 2005 – 2010. That’s nearly 7 billion Kenyan shillings. This plan covers investment programmes with a pro-poor focus aiming to increase access, retention and quality.
One of the investment programmes aims to improve access to better quality education in non-formal schools. It provides teaching/learning materials, teacher support grants, and grants to make infrastructure improvements. In Nairobi alone; where there are just 230 public primary schools, there are 1000 non-formal schools that provide access to an estimated 300,000 children. About 20% of the Nairobi non-formal schools have now registered successfully with the Ministry of Education and are receiving Free Primary Education grants.
This is crucial. The education Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved unless the children that are hardest to reach receive an education. Children in remote areas like Northern Kenya or urban slum areas like here in Nairobi, or those that have a disability or are excluded in some way.
Hard to Reach Children
It is estimated that there over 1.7 million orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and 1.3 million children with special needs in Kenya. Only 10% of these children are enrolled in primary schools. DFID is supporting the Ministry of Education in piloting a school-based OVC response in 120 schools, providing a cash grant to be managed at the school level to provide school-related supplies, like uniforms, bags, shoes and desks. 200,000 children will benefit from this support.
The Importance of Quality
Last week was the Global Action week for Education. Its theme - ‘Quality education to end exclusion’- is highly relevant in Kenya. Quality is important, not just for to the standard of education that pupils receive, but to whether or not the pupils drop out. That’s why DFID has recently commissioned two studies that will improve understanding of educational quality in Kenya. We know that more time, attention and resources must be focused on assessing and improving educational outcomes and achievements.
Working together to meet this challenge
Today, we have the knowledge. We have the technology. And we have the wealth to make a difference for millions of people on our planet by helping to lift them from grinding poverty and by giving them the opportunity to learn, to be healthy and to make enough to support their families.
Every child has the right to go to school. Education is the most economically efficient and socially beneficial investment we can make in the developing world. School leavers with a quality education with relevant skills will attract investors, increase economic growth and reduce high youth unemployment.
Kenya has just passed through a traumatic period. The World Bank estimates that a further five million Kenyans have been pitched into poverty. Among the many distressing sights was that of children unable to go to school owing to violence and insecurity. Yet amongst the issues that the mediation process identified as underlying the post-election violence were inequality, the absence of equal opportunity, and youth unemployment. The National Accord and Reconciliation Act identified the need for an ambitious reform agenda. Greater access to education, and education of good quality, can play a central role in transforming Kenya and addressing those issues.
We read daily of the concerns of Kenyans over the cost of the Grand Coalition government. The best answer to those concerns will be to focus government spending on delivering services - crucial services like education. There is such human potential here in Kenya. The performances we saw this morning – all from children from Nairobi slums who are outside the formal education sector – underlined that. In the future, they will truly put the Phoenix Players in the shade. Let’s now demonstrate that we all have the will to face our responsibilities and make that difference for all Kenya’s citizens.
It is my honour today to launch the report produced by CONCERN and Daraja – Falling Short – and with that to get the Urban Slums Basic Education Campaign underway. Let us all work to achieve its planned results.
Speech by British High Commissioner, HE Adam Wood
30 April 2008, Nairobi
Thank you for inviting me here today and giving me the privilege of witnessing such inspiring entertainment. I feel very inspired by the performances of all the children we have seen today.
Worldwide Call for Action
We are half way towards the target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Progress is varied. 2008 is a year of action.
The MDG ‘Call to Action’ was launched in New York in July 2007 by Gordon Brown, Britain’s Prime Minister. He was speaking alongside the UN Secretary General, Ban-ki Moon, to encourage the international community to accelerate progress to reach the MDGs. To mobilise not just governments but business, faith groups, NGOs, cities and professional organisations.
Education is a central pillar of the UN ‘Call to Action’. Every child has a right to learn, yet at the halfway point 72 million children globally do not go to primary school. Many more fail to complete their primary schooling and gain essential literacy and numerical skills. Girls suffer disproportionately, yet there is widespread evidence that educating future mothers, at least to primary level, has one of the most significant impacts on future development.
I congratulate CONCERN and their Kenyan partner organisation, Daraja, for working with UN Habitat and the Kenyan Government to launch the Urban Slum Basic Education Campaign for Kenya today. Education is key to creating and exploiting the opportunities we have as individuals, as communities and as countries. It is the most cost effective, the most all embracing and the most lasting way to make real progress.
It is not just a fundamental human right, but it is something that lifts people out of poverty, and helps them to better themselves. It is at the very heart of fighting poverty, injustice and inequality across the world.
In 2006, the United Kingdom pledged $15 billion – that’s around 945 billion Kenyan shillings - for education in developing countries over ten years, the largest single offer of aid from any G8 country.
Ensuring all children in the world receive good quality primary education is a British priority. Our Prime Minister has a personal commitment to this goal, as witnessed most recently during the French President’s visit to the United Kingdom. This crystallised the UK/France agreement that we would each support eight million children in school in Africa by 2010.
We should remind ourselves that no country has lifted itself out of poverty without investing in educating its people. Successful countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea have singled out education for its role in improving their success.
Kenya
Kenya is making good progress towards achieving the two education-related MDGs. The introduction of Free Primary Education in 2003 brought an additional 1.8 million Kenyan children into school. Net enrolment rate has increased reaching 86.5% in 2006. The pupil to textbook ratios have improved from over 15:1 to 3:1 in lower and 2:1 in upper primary.
Support from Britain
Britain is committed to education in Kenya. I would like to thank the Deputy Director for his recognition of that. Actually in his account of how Britain has supported Kenya, I recall a personal commitment for it was when I was in Kenya before that Britain launched with the Ministry of Education its support for Primary Education through a programme called ‘Spread’. From that programme our support for education in Kenya has developed, and now our Department for International Development (DFID), has supported the implementation of the Ministry of Education’s five year strategic plan, providing funding of 55 million pounds sterling for the five years 2005 – 2010. That’s nearly 7 billion Kenyan shillings. This plan covers investment programmes with a pro-poor focus aiming to increase access, retention and quality.
One of the investment programmes aims to improve access to better quality education in non-formal schools. It provides teaching/learning materials, teacher support grants, and grants to make infrastructure improvements. In Nairobi alone; where there are just 230 public primary schools, there are 1000 non-formal schools that provide access to an estimated 300,000 children. About 20% of the Nairobi non-formal schools have now registered successfully with the Ministry of Education and are receiving Free Primary Education grants.
This is crucial. The education Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved unless the children that are hardest to reach receive an education. Children in remote areas like Northern Kenya or urban slum areas like here in Nairobi, or those that have a disability or are excluded in some way.
Hard to Reach Children
It is estimated that there over 1.7 million orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) and 1.3 million children with special needs in Kenya. Only 10% of these children are enrolled in primary schools. DFID is supporting the Ministry of Education in piloting a school-based OVC response in 120 schools, providing a cash grant to be managed at the school level to provide school-related supplies, like uniforms, bags, shoes and desks. 200,000 children will benefit from this support.
The Importance of Quality
Last week was the Global Action week for Education. Its theme - ‘Quality education to end exclusion’- is highly relevant in Kenya. Quality is important, not just for to the standard of education that pupils receive, but to whether or not the pupils drop out. That’s why DFID has recently commissioned two studies that will improve understanding of educational quality in Kenya. We know that more time, attention and resources must be focused on assessing and improving educational outcomes and achievements.
Working together to meet this challenge
Today, we have the knowledge. We have the technology. And we have the wealth to make a difference for millions of people on our planet by helping to lift them from grinding poverty and by giving them the opportunity to learn, to be healthy and to make enough to support their families.
Every child has the right to go to school. Education is the most economically efficient and socially beneficial investment we can make in the developing world. School leavers with a quality education with relevant skills will attract investors, increase economic growth and reduce high youth unemployment.
Kenya has just passed through a traumatic period. The World Bank estimates that a further five million Kenyans have been pitched into poverty. Among the many distressing sights was that of children unable to go to school owing to violence and insecurity. Yet amongst the issues that the mediation process identified as underlying the post-election violence were inequality, the absence of equal opportunity, and youth unemployment. The National Accord and Reconciliation Act identified the need for an ambitious reform agenda. Greater access to education, and education of good quality, can play a central role in transforming Kenya and addressing those issues.
We read daily of the concerns of Kenyans over the cost of the Grand Coalition government. The best answer to those concerns will be to focus government spending on delivering services - crucial services like education. There is such human potential here in Kenya. The performances we saw this morning – all from children from Nairobi slums who are outside the formal education sector – underlined that. In the future, they will truly put the Phoenix Players in the shade. Let’s now demonstrate that we all have the will to face our responsibilities and make that difference for all Kenya’s citizens.
It is my honour today to launch the report produced by CONCERN and Daraja – Falling Short – and with that to get the Urban Slums Basic Education Campaign underway. Let us all work to achieve its planned results.
