Ethics Education Implementers Undergo Training
Training of fellows to implement Ethics Education is underway in Kenya after the first phase was held in October, 2022 in Indonesia comprising six countries namely Kenya, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Nepal Seychelles and the host Indonesia.
Ethics Education (EE) provides the space for learners to foster the qualities, capacities and competencies which enable them to relate ethically with themselves, others and the world.
This second phase of Ethics Education Fellowship Programme taking place in Thika town Kiambu County will aid to cascade and sustain the programme beyond the school level.
The Fellowship Program aims to strengthen capacity on ethics education in formal education as a key contribution to developing national programs that foster learning to live together.
The fellowship program will build a network of formal education institutions and create a platform for sharing and building capacity. He noted the program also aims to promote a sustainable continuation and expansion of ethics education activities in the participating countries.
In Kenya, the fellows were drawn from Ministry of Education, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Kenyatta University and Thogoto Teachers Training College. The team is expected to cascade the program in their countries by training ToTs who would implement it in their learning institutions.
Ethics Education focusses on the social, emotional, ethical, cognitive and even spiritual dimensions of a learner’s holistic development.
By cultivating children’s sense of responsibility and interconnectedness, Ethics Education empowers children as active and caring agents of change in their communities and the world beyond.
Ethics Education places the learner and their agency at the centre of their learning, simultaneously encouraging transformative action while learning through it.
Such educational initiatives characterised by an ethical core will be crucial in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly Target 4.7, which aims to promote a culture of peace and non-violence, global and democratic citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity.
Ethics Education Legal Framework in Kenya is founded on the Legal Framework capsuled in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that Stipulates national values and principles that should guide Kenyans. The Kenya Vision 2030 also talks about building a cohesive and just society in a clean and secure environment.
Ethics Education is based on reflection, relations & Dialogue and Collective Action. These are in line with the Competency Based Curriculum currently being implemented in Kenyan Learning Institutions. CBC is premised on Learner- Centered Transformative Pedagogy which is similar to the Ethics Education whose key elements include Participatory and Collaborative Learning, Safe Learning Environment, Supportive Learning-Led Action, Role-Modelling, Whole-school Approach, and Context Sensitivity.
Arigatou International in collaboration with UNESCO, the International Dialogue Center (KAICIID) and other partners organized the training of fellows for the implementation of Ethics Education in Selected Learning Institutions in Kenya.
Four Schools, a Teacher training college and a University were selected from Kitui and Murang’a counties with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Kenya National Human Rights Commission, Porticus, the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya and officers from the Teacher Education and Central Planning Unit directorates on-boarded.