ESTDEV and the Education Deans Forum—Kenya present a roadmap for teacher education reforms

The roadmap was developed in conjunction with ESTDEV and includes recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms following competency-based education models. The Education Deans Forum-Kenya can now start to implement the action plan outlined in the roadmap. 

Teacher education reforms will ultimately empower future educators with 21st-century competencies for professional mastery and innovation. Ezekiel Machogu, cabinet secretary for Kenya’s Ministry of Education, noted the roadmap’s potential for bringing about change during the announcement, saying, “We are thankful for ESTDEV and Kenya Education Deans Forum for developing the roadmap. If implemented successfully, it will transform teachers' education for the better.”

“We admire the Kenyan spirit of bold reform, especially the steps taken towards a competency-based curriculum. We’ve been thrilled to be trusted to contribute to the roadmap for transforming teacher education in Kenya,” said Mariin Ratnik, undersecretary of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during her speech at the roadmap presentation. “This is a partnership of equals, of mutual respect and shared dreams. It's about taking confident steps into a future where education opens doors to opportunities we can only imagine.”

According to the roadmap, teacher certification and licensing policies should follow national professional standards. Aligning teacher qualification standards with general education changes means considering the type and duration of pre-service and in-service education and promoting continued professional development. 

The roadmap also outlines a detailed action plan across policy, programme and institutional levels, focusing on the following areas:

• Management and curriculum development
• Teacher education and training
• Updating and developing digital learning tools
• Creation of standards for learning environments and tools 
• Modernisation of learning content

This roadmap was developed after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education in Kenya and Estonia’s Ministry of Education and Research 2022 and the subsequent memorandum of agreement between the University of Embu (on behalf of the Education Deans Forum—Kenya) and the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) in 2023.

Kenya is Estonia’s largest development cooperation partner in Africa. Over 30 projects on e-governance, education, entrepreneurship and green transition have been implemented, with special attention paid to digitalisation and empowering women and girls.