Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 30:220229, 2009

Copyright National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators

ISSN: 1090-1027 print / 1745-5642 online
DOI: 10.1080/10901020903084256

Teacher Training for Early Childhood Development

and Education in Kenya

1745-5642
1090-1027
UJEC
Journal
of Early Childhood Teacher Education
Education, Vol. 30, No. 3, July 2009: pp. 120

Teacher
T.
Mbugua
Training in Kenya

TATA MBUGUA
University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
The training of early childhood development and education (ECDE) teachers in Kenya
remains a priority in recognition of the vital role well-trained professionals play in the
quality of early childhood experiences for children ages 0+ to 5+. This article provides a detailed overview of the current structure and training of ECDE professionals,
including pedagogical strategies and curricular guidelines. Specific attention is given
to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technologys intersectoral framework for
stakeholders and the holistic, child-centered, multidimensional approach to coordinated early childhood development and education. A cross-section of challenges to
training ECDE teachers and recommendations are offered.

Introduction
Twenty-first-century initiatives for early childhood education and development have
gained momentum in many countries with a two-pronged focus: prioritizing early childhood education as a foundation for later learning and success (UNESCO/OECD, 2004b)
and preparing highly qualified teachers of young children. Subsequently, the importance
of Early Childhood Development (ECD) is supported by empirical research findings that
continue to underscore the importance of ECD in laying the foundation for the later success across the life span, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood (Charlesworth,
2004; Heckman, 1999; Junn & Boyatzis, 2007).
A brief overview of international commitments concerning early childhood care and
education can be traced in three documents that have been signed by many countries of the
world calling for action to ensure that childrens needs are met, and that growth and development are promoted. These documents are the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the
World Conference on Education for All (EFA), and the World Summit for Children. The
World Conference on Education for All, adopted in Jomtien, Thailand, in 1990 was a declaration that highlighted the fundamental principle that learning begins at birth. Subsequent progress made during the 1990s included the World Education Forum that took
place in Dakar, Senegal. There, an EFA Framework of Action was adopted, which highlighted improving early childhood care and education as the first among six EFA goals
(UNESCO/OECD, 2005; UNICEF, 2002). This goal expressed a worldwide commitment
for expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. But expansion and improvement
need to be based on elements that add up to quality, such as well-trained teachers; low
teacherstudent ratios; safe, stimulating surroundings; and strong ties between staff and
Received 1 December 2008; accepted 29 January 2009.
Address correspondence to Tata Mbugua, Education Department, University of Scranton,
MGH 145, 800 Linden St., Scranton, PA 18510, USA. E-mail: Mbuguat2@scranton.edu

220

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families, so [that] children know there is loving continuity in their lives (Hancock &
Wingert, 1997, p. 36).

A Brief History of Early Childhood Development and Education in Kenya

Specific to early childhood development and education (ECDE), Kenya has established
itself as a leader in the African region, given its notable experience in the area of early
childhood development and the relatively high rates of participation of young children in
ECD services in the country for the past 20 years (UNESCO/OECD, 2004a). The framework for ECDE has been established through an intersectoral collaborative approach of
stakeholders drawn from the Ministry of Education along with provincial and district education officials, Kenya Institute of Education (KIE), National Centre for Early Childhood
Education (NACECE), City Centre for Early Childhood Education (CICECE), District
Centers for Early Childhood Education (DICECEs), UNICEF, Bernard van Leer Foundation
(BVLF), The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), NGOs, faith-based organizations, private
training colleges, universities, and the private sector.
Since 1963, when Kenya gained independence from British colonial rule, early childhood development and education has experienced significant growth. Initially, there were
only a few training programs for preschool teachers. As a consequence, by 1971, only 400
of 5,000 preschool teachers had received basic training (cited in World Bank Technical
Paper #367, 1977), and teachers and local communities carried the largest burden of
ECDE in terms of providing land, supplying materials for building classrooms and providing their talents for collecting stories, riddles, poems, and games that were edited and distributed by the programs (Mbugua, 2004). During the 1970s, ECDE continued to flourish
after being given impetus by three critical developments. First, in 1972, a 10-year PreSchool Education Project (PEP) was undertaken at the Kenya Institute of Education, sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Bernard van Leer Foundation. This
research project focused on the improvement of quality preschool education in the following key areas: development of training models for ECCE personnel; development of a
quality curriculum; and development of support materials for use by children, teachers,
and trainers. In addition, two notable initiatives, the Gachathi (1976) and Kamunge (1988)
educational commissions, played a key role in creating greater recognition of preschool
education within the Ministry of Education (MOE, 2006a).
The 1980s saw the Ministry of Education assume responsibility for ECD services
through the Presidential Circular Number One of 1980 (Godia, 2008). The Ministry of
Education further established the National Center for Early Childhood Education
(NACECE), an endeavor aimed at disseminating PEP results and harmonizing the growth,
training of personnel for ECCE, and the evaluation and monitoring of early childhood
education across Kenya. This was followed by the establishment of a network of subcenters at the district level. These centers were called District Centers for Early Childhood
Education (DICECE). They performed the following functions: training of preschool
teachers and other personnel, supervision and inspection of preschool programs, community mobilization, and the development of preschool curriculum (Gakuru, Riak, Ogula,
Mugo, & Njenga, 1987).
Within this well-established framework for early childhood development and education in Kenya, the 1990s and early 2000s have continued to witness a steep increase in the
number of trained teachers (see Table 1). This phenomenon can be attributed to the expansion of DICECE training centers through funding from the World Bank/ECD Project. The
World Bank project undertaken from 1997 to 2004 provided another important opportunity

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T. Mbugua
Table 1
Trend in enrollment and teacher recruitment in preschools
(Kenya Institute of Education, 2005)

Year

Number of
teachers

Trained
teachers

Untrained
teachers

% of Trained
teachers

1968
1976
1986
1991
2000
2001
2002

5,184
8,453
16,182
24,809
42,609
45,619
51,596

5,119
8,595
19,408
21,508
25,452

11,431
16,214
23,201
24,111
26,144

31.6
34.6
45.5
47.1
49.3

for the government to expand its vision on early childhood. The main focus of this initiative was on teacher training and community capacity building for service delivery. As a
consequence, DICECE training centers grew from 9 in 1985 to 31 by 2003, with each
center graduating about 100 teachers every 2 years (MOE, 2004). Additionally, due to the
governments intersectoral collaboration, the number of private training providers
also rose. Private organizations registered by the Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology (MOEST) to provide ECD training for preschool teachers numbered 49 by
2004. Nonetheless, parents and local communities provide the greatest support for ECD
services through preschool committees followed by NGOs, mainly religious-based and
private organizations (MOE, 2006a).
Although the increased demand for early childhood care development and education
has created a need for training programs for early childhood teachers and caregivers,
Table 1 reflects a high number of untrained ECDE teachers by 2002 (49.3%), prompting
Mwais (2003) contention that many early childhood education teaching posts are filled
with untrained teachers. This suggests that the professional training of the ECDE teacher,
which is of paramount importance, is still a work in progress in Kenya.
There is a paucity of systematic research and current data about specific programs that
offer training for teachers of early childhood development and education personnel and for
early childhood education teachers. Since many studies indicate that the average quality of
care for young children is inadequate, the importance of training early childhood teachers
has become increasingly important (Adams & Swadener, 2000; Mwai, 2003; Wortham,
1998). The emphasis has been quality as a significant component in any dimension of
training early childhood professionals (Gonzalez-Mena, 2000; Mbugua, 2004; PDE, 2008).
Underscoring the vital role well-trained ECE teachers play in the quality of early childhood
experiences, longitudinal studies show that better quality child care is associated with better
cognitive and social outcomes for children (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2007).

Definitions of Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Development

and Related Terminology
In order to realize the significance of early childhood education and by implication, the
training of ECDE teachers in Kenya, some definitions are necessary. According to Penwell
(2007), early childhood education refers to the combination of physical, intelligence/cognitive,
emotional, and social learning of a child during the first 6 to 8 years of her life. Early

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Childhood Development (ECD) is the term used in Kenya to refer to the discipline concerned with the care, development and learning of young children ages 0+ to 5+ years
(UNESCO/OECD, 2005).
This broad definition is bifurcated in Kenya to reflect two basic categories that highlight the purposes of training early childhood education professionals. First, there is the
broad definition of early childhood education as articulated above. The scope of children
served by ECE is typically birth through age 8. This training takes place at the university
level at both Kenyatta and Moi Universities in Kenya. Second, there is early childhood
development and education, which primarily caters to children birth through age 5. This is
a definition that goes beyond the provision of education and stimulation for young children. It encompasses the provision of social, health, and psychological needs of a child in
holistic approach (MOE, 2006a). This level of training takes place within District Centers
for Early Childhood Education.

Early Childhood Development Services

The term early childhood services refers to all types of formal, nonformal and informal
early childhood care and/or education services catering for children from 0+ to 5+ years
and/or their parents (UNESCO/OECD, 2005). There are seven key early childhood development services within the ECDE program in Kenya as indicated in Table 2.
Preschool is a generic term used to refer to early childhood education services for
children 2/3+ to 5+ under the responsibility of the MOEST. Nursery school, catering to
children ages 3+ to 5+, is the most common type of ECDE and is central to the MOESTs
planning of ECD services. Kindergarten caters to children 2+ to 5+; home-based care
caters to 0+ to 3. The later service is primarily done by extended family members such as
grandmothers or by ayahs or house girls, who provide in-home care (Swadener, Kabiru, &
Njenga, 2000).

Current Structure and Training of ECDE TeachersDiploma in ECDE

The training of ECDE teachers has been the core activity of the MOEST through established structures under the auspices of KIE and through the National Center for Early
Childhood Education (NACECE), District Centers for Early Childhood Education
(DICECE), private organizations registered and approved by MOEST, and other institutions of higher learning such as Kenyatta and Moi universities. The MOEST is in charge
of certification of preschool teachers. Launched in 1985, the duration of the ECDE
Diploma course is 2 years. The primary emphasis of this diploma course is to equip the
ECDE teachers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes desired to stimulate
childrens growth in preparation for primary education (MOE, 2006b).
The structure of the diploma course entails two programs: Preservice and In-service.
The Preservice program comprises 23 units, with each course unit requiring a minimum
of 35 contact hours to be covered in four school terms. All ECDE trainees require an
ECDE institutional attachment of 100 hours (one month). The trainee submits a written
observation report to the training institution. The In-service program is covered in six residential sessions (theory of ECD and development of play/learning materials) during the
school holidays of April, August, and December (the academic year in Kenya runs from
January to December with three one-month holidays every three months). Each session requires a minimum of 3 weeks (three units) and 7 hours per day for 5 days of a
week (6 3 7 5 = 630 hours). Student Teaching practice requires one full school term

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Custodial care
and early
stimulation

MOEST

Madrassa

2 + to 5 +
2 + to 5 +
Nairobi only Rural/urban

Day nursery

MOEST

MOEST

2-year preservice
and 1-year
in-service*

Play group

No requirement

None

2-year
in-service*

No
requirement

0 + to 3
2 + to 5 +
Urban slums/arid Rich urban
or semi-arid
areas
Custodial care
Custodial care
and early
and early
stimulation
stimulation

Home-based
care center

2-year
Integrated Islamic On-the-job
training and
in-service*
Education
a few short
Program (IIEP)
courses
induction
MOEST
MOEST
None

Care/ religious
Custodial
Preprimary
Custodial care,
education
care and
education, some
early stimulation,
early
early stimulation
preprimary
stimulation
education
To be Koranic
Secondary
Secondary
Secondary
teachers
education
education
education
(12 years of
(12 years of
(12 years of
schooling)
schooling)
schooling)

*Some teachers are trained through 1-year preservice training of the Kenya.
Headmistresses Kindergarten Association and Montessori.

Responsible
ministryauthority

Kinder-garten

3 + to 5 +
5 + (reception class) 2 + to 5 +
Rural/plantations Schools in
Rich urban
Nairobi only

Preschool unit

Primary or
Required
secondary
qualification
education
level for
(8 or 12 years
teachers
of schooling)
depending on
the area
Training
2-year in-service 2-year*

Focus

Child age
Location

Nursery school
(largest service)

Table 2
Profiles of key early childhood services within the ECD program (NACECE, 2004)

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counted as eight units or the equivalent of 300 hours. The trainee submits a one-month
written observation journal.
In addition, the trainees prepare a final research project of 105 hours. This project is
assessed by the institution offering the Diploma course and the marks are forwarded to
Kenya National Examinations Council. This Diploma course is designed to run for the
duration of 780 contact hours and 300 hours of student teaching. The overarching goal of
the units design is praxis, linking theory to practice by providing trainees with the theory
of child development and stimulation and an opportunity to work with communities and
children in ECD programs. All trainees are trained to use the ECDE Guidelines to enhance
teachinglearning processes and provide for holistic development of children in preschools. The Diploma course further serves two important roles: (a) it fills the gap
between ECDE certificate and the ECE degree program, and (b) it provides an opportunity
for upward mobility in the ECDE program. An alternative course targeting trainees who
do not qualify for the regular ECDE diploma course is also offered as well as an Islamic
Integrated Education Program (IIEP) targeting Koranic teachers at Madrassa (Muslim)
preschools.
The entry requirements to the ECDE training program involve any one of the following:
(a) A minimum of KCSE Grade C plain, (b) Long service as an ECD teacher with a
KNEC proficiency examination certificate, (c) A DICECE or Kindergarten Headmistress
Association or Montessori certificate with at least a D+ in KCSE, and (d) a P1 certificate
for primary school teachers.

Pedagogical Guidelines/Curriculum for ECDE

The Early Childhood Development and Education curriculum in Kenya has five components: (a) The Guidelines for Early Childhood Development referred to as Guidelines for
Early Childhood Development in Kenya (MOE, 2003), derived from the Pre-school Education Project (PEP) of 1972; (b) the Kindergarten Headmistress Association curriculum;
(c) Montessori; (d) the Islamic Integrated Education Program (IIEP); and (e) the curricula
for parental and community education programs. Notable amongst these is the Guidelines
for ECD in Kenya, which are comparable to the Association for Childhood Education
Internationals (ACEI) Global Guidelines for ECE in the 21st Century (1999). The latter
have been piloted in a number of countries around the world. In addition, the ACEI Guidelines have been translated into Chinese, French, Spanish, Korean, Greek, Russian, and
Swahili languages. The Guidelines for ECD in Kenya are designed to emphasize acceptable ECD curriculum standards for children 06 years, and a child-centered approach that
encourages childrens learning through play, manipulating, observing, exploring, and
experimenting, and a thematic integrated learning approach (MOE, 2003). The Guidelines, which are aligned with the countrys EFA plan, further guide preschool teachers to
work with parents and community members toward the provision of quality preschool services, suitable facilities, learning and play materials, feeding programs, health services,
and safety for children.

Training of Trainers Model Offered by DICECE

The Training of Trainers (TOT) model received a significant stipulation by the MOEST in
2006. This stipulation mandated that trainers of ECDE teachers meet two criteria: (a) hold
the minimum qualification of a bachelors degree in Education (preferably ECD), and (b)
be one level higher in academic and professional qualification than the level at which

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T. Mbugua

he/she is providing training. The ECDE trainers program trains the preschool teachers in
participatory methods, which are nondidactic teaching that include problem-solving, discussion, and active learning. The training entails a 9-month induction course, which is
provided by NACECE. This includes three one-month residential sessions focusing on a
variety of pedagogical strategies. These strategies include group discussions, role-playing,
practical activities, and demonstrations (MOE, 2004). The majority of ECDE teachers
hold bachelors degrees in ECE from universities, while persons who hold masters and/or
doctoral degrees in ECE train ECE trainees at these institutions of higher education. In
order to cater to all categories of children attending ECD centers in the country, the ECDE
trainers generally follow a syllabus that is divided into three levels: Level I (baby care) for
children 3 years and below; Level II (preprimary 1) for children age 4 years; Level III
(preprimary 2) for children age 5 years. The overarching goal of the training is that ECD
teachers and their trainers should acquire full knowledge of the multidimensional aspects
of child development.

Promoting Cultural Competencies in ECDE Teacher Preparation

ProgramsCultural and Abilities Diversity Teaching
An important feature is that all preschool teachers are recruited locally with the goal of
ensuring that they have a good understanding of the culture, language, and environment of
the communities in which they will work. The objective is to prepare future early childhood teachers for what Hyun (1998) terms developmentally and culturally appropriate
practice. Within Kenya, this perspective is imperative, given its ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity. From a linguistic perspective, whilst English and Swahili are the official
languages, English is the main medium of instruction in all educational institutions. In
effect, although Kenyans belong to different ethnic groups, races, and religions, these differences need not divide them. An intentional emphasis on one of Kenyas national goals
for education, that of fostering nationalism, patriotism, and national unity comes into
sharp focus in light of the tensions that resulted in violence and death precipitated by contested presidential elections in December 2007 and January 2008. These ethnic tensions
caused untold human suffering, death, and internal displacement of children and their
families. The role of education ought to be one of helping young people acquire a sense of
nationhood by removing conflicts and promoting positive attitudes of mutual respect as
national and global citizens in an interconnected and interdependent world (MOE, 2006b).
In the Kenyan urban areas, the demographic characteristics of ECDE classrooms are
far from homogeneous. Children in these settings and classrooms have cultural, linguistic,
religious, and ability diversity that is different from their teachers. These teachers need to
be culturally responsive to the needs of all their students, while developing homeschool
connections that foster these cross-cultural understandings. Consequently, recommended
practices by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Division of
Early Childhood emphasizing a thorough understanding and knowledge of the diverse
needs and characteristics of families, children, and their communities is an imperative
(NAEYC, 1996). Preschool teachers further need to learn how to identify children with
special needs, which in turn will lead to early intervention. The special needs of children
include physical and mental characteristics, sensory abilities, emotional and social adjustment, or communication abilities. The synergistic effects of comprehensive and intensive
early assessment followed by intervention is beneficial to children with special needs,
their families and society at large in that it enhances intelligence, prevents secondary disability, and reduces family stress (MOE, 2007). Another important category of children

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are those in especially difficult circumstances such as street children, orphans, HIV/AIDS
infected and affected children, and children of urban poor who live in slum areas. It is the
responsibility of ECDE professionals to advocate for these children as well.

Cross-Section of Challenges to the Training of ECDE Teachers in Kenya

The potential for early childhood education and development practices in Kenya is great,
especially given the MOESTs expanded mandate to cater for the early care, development,
and education needs of young children. Additionally, there has been increased awareness
with regard to the importance of an integrated approach to the holistic development of the
child. However, there are some perceived problems and challenges that need to be
addressed along various dimensions. The early childhood development program has
placed too much emphasis on a center-based model, while neglecting alternative models
which may increase access and may be more appropriate for certain populations. Such
communities include the slum areas, rural areas and the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands
(ASAL) of Kenya.
In addition, the Free Primary Education Policy has had a negative impact on access to
ECD services. Many parents do not want to pay for the education and care of children who
are under 5 when education is free for 6-year-olds. As a consequence, many preschool
children are not benefiting from preschool experiences since their parents tend to keep
them home until they reach the entitlement age for FPE (Anonymous, 2003). As a result,
many preschool teachers who depend on parental support for salaries leave the profession
due to poor and irregular pay.
The issue of participation poses a challenge since regional and gender disparities in
access to early childhood development impact on preschool gross enrollment rates (GER).
For example, North Eastern Province has a GER of 11.2% for boys and 8.2% for girls,
compared to Nairobis 105.7% of GER for boys and 107.2% for girls (UNESCO/OECD,
2005). The high GER in Nairobi means that there are many underage and overage children
enrolled in ECD centers. This phenomenon points to the difficulty of delivering quality
ECD services since it denies the preschool teachers the opportunity to practice what they
have been trained to do.
The Guidelines for ECD in Kenya are not accessible to all teachers, while the competencies and services for children under 3 are not well developed. The Guidelines are not
readily available to teachers, resulting in a lack of adherence to a set of standards for guiding professional practice. Additionally, some preschools overemphasize formal learning
skills at the expense of a play-paradigm curriculum. This may be attributed to the demands
by parents who insist on a more academic curriculum at the preprimary level. As in many
countries around the world, there is little professional recognition of preschool teachers in
Kenya, leading to poor self-esteem and a lack of awareness in local communities regarding teachers needs. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of formal policy linking ECD
to primary education. Finally, the provision of basic needs and services to ECD teachers in
disadvantaged areas and communities such as the ASAL is lacking.

Recommendations
The government and relevant stakeholders should come together to develop a policy
framework for increasing access to ECD services and enhancing equity for vulnerable
children, including HIV/AIDS orphans. The government should also make preschool education for age 5+ free and compulsory, and pay the salaries of teachers who handle these

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T. Mbugua

classes. There needs to be a comprehensive national framework to ensure access to ECD

Guidelines for ECDE teachers. In order to increase access to ECDE training for teachers
in ASAL, the minimum requirement for admission into the ECD programs needs to be
adjusted. Equally, there needs to be a review of the existing curriculum to accommodate
the integration of children with disabilities. Finally, the existing gaps in implementation of
the World Bank Projects vision of expanding ECD to age 8 and creating linkages
between ECD and formal schooling, need to be revisited with a view to creating policy
statements that reflect the reality that ECD training caters to children up to age 6. This
approach would allow for more systematic training of ECD teachers that could harmonize
preschools with primary schools and could offer job security for preschool teachers and
sustainability of ECD centers.

Conclusions
The progress achieved in ECDE teacher training in Kenya to date remains the highest
amongst other African countries. This can be attributed to the MOESTs focused goal of
adopting an intersectoral approach to ECDE. While there are some challenges being
faced, such as access to ECDE by children in disadvantaged situations, preschool teacher
salaries, parental pressure for academic curriculum, and the danger of reversing the ECDE
enrollment trends as a consequence of free primary education, the Kenya government continues to stay proactive in ensuring the existence of KIE, NACECE, and DICECE for the
delivery of quality ECDE teacher training. It should be noted that at the tertiary level,
since 1995, Kenyatta University has been offering degrees in early childhood education,
with most of the graduates being employed at DICECE and by international organizations.
Other opportunities opened up by Kenyatta University include a masters degree in education and degrees in early childhood studies at the doctoral level. In response to the demand
for early childhood development and education, Moi and Nairobi universities have followed suit by starting degree programs in early childhood education, thus continuing the
trend of training high quality ECDE teachers.

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