A conference on Learning to Live Together through History and Government education that opened today in Sagana Gateway Resort, Muranga County, has urged stakeholders in the education sector to develop practical strategies on how teaching of History and Government education can be used to enhance national cohesion and integration in Kenya.
Speaking while opening the conference, Hon. Francis Ole Kaparo, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission chair, noted with great concern the growing trend of ethnicity and minimal respect of the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitution by many Kenyans. “For us to promote learning to live together in harmony, we must overcome the fundamental challenges of disunity amongst our people by embracing the principles of good ethos and behavior”, he said.
Act! Executive Director, Anne Nyabera appealed for innovative and practical strategies that the various actors: government, civil society and learning institutions can use to promote tolerance, understanding and acceptance of diversity among all Kenyans irrespective of their cultural and ethnic background. She urged education curriculum developers to be awake to the growing threat of radicalization of youth and the tendency for some to engage in violent extremism. “As we deliberate on the issues ahead of us, let us ensure we equip our formal education system with appropriate technologies to detect early signs of radicalization among our youth”, she said.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. Julius Jwan, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director, underscored government’s commitment in reforming the education sector so as to align education with current market trends and the global economy. He added that the essence of ‘Learning to Live Together’ is to promote value based and quality education for young people in order to help them nurture ethical values. It helps them strengthen their identity and ability to make well-grounded ethical decisions, respect and work with people of other cultures and religions, and foster their individual and collective responsibilities in a global community.
The conference has been convened by Act! in partnership with KICD and with funding support from the Royal Danish Embassy in Nairobi.
