EMERGING ISSUES IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING.

EMERGING ISSUES IN EDUCATIONAL PLANNING.

                       

Introduction

Educational planning is the application of rational and systematic analysis to the process of educational development with the aim of making education more effective and efficient in responding to the needs of the students and the society at large (Coombs, 1970). Educational planning involves a qualitative and quantitative continuous process, concerned not only with where to go but how to get there and by what best means .Its work does not end when the plan has gone into paper and has won the approval of the authorities  must continue until it is fully implemented. For planning to be effective, it must be concerned with its own implementation, progress made and unforeseen obstacles that may arise and how to mitigate them. The planning process includes not only a projection of the development of the economy in the future, but also resource plans for the spending departments and the costing and revision of plans (Atkinson, 1983). Planning therefore is an integral part of the whole process of educational management; it can help the decision makers at all levels. Planning helps to attain larger and better aggregate results within the limits of the scarcity available resources. In developing countries, Kenya inclusive, educational planners experience challenges emanating from the rapid expansion of education as seen in the upsurge in enrolment, low quality of education and the inadequacy of resources. One of the central roles of educational planners therefore is to try and keep the internal and the external forces in the education system at a balance under the dynamically changing circumstances and with the help of all education stakeholders. This paper seeks to explore the emerging issues that educational planners grabble with in their quest to meet the required educational standards.

Information Communication Technology

Technological developments that have completely changed human life have been witnessed in the recent time and this has adverse impacts in the planning of education. This advancement has made it possible for information to be shared easily throughout the world hence information explosion, connectivity and networking worldwide; Buckingham (2003) as termed this the ‘digital era.’ A number of international organizations have partnered with the ministry of education science and technology to facilitate the use of ICT in government offices and in educational institutions. Success in the use of ICT in various institutions requires sufficient and competent human resource that is well developed through training. If put into appropriate use ICT plays a very significant role in the education system, however there are a number of challenges bedeviling the implementation and access of ICT in education and this include:  the cost of purchasing computers which is prohibitive to many educational institutions and even the government,  limited access of electricity more so in the schools situated in the rural areas together with the frequent power interruptions in areas which already have power, the high cost of internet services. Yet another challenge is the inadequate number of teachers who have the necessary skill to teach learners on ICT. Kafu (2006) pointed out that the challenge facing teacher education in the 21^st century is to produce a teacher who can apply modern information technology in teaching. To address these challenges, the government should move with speed to implement the Jubilee government’s promise of providing laptops to schools, invest in the development of teachers through in-service training and review teacher training institution’s curriculum towards the production of ICT compliant teachers.

Devolution

Educational planners face a challenge that arose as a result of the devolution of educational services in Kenya to the county level following the promulgation of the new Kenya’s constitution in the year 2010. A number of departments in the ministry of education which were previously managed at the central government were, following the new constitution, brought down to the county level thus the educational planner  faces the challenge of planning at the decentralized level.

Educational Policies

Gender mainstreaming and special education also pose challenges to educational planners. There are increasing cases of sexual harassment, gender bias and gender insensitive school learning environment. Inadequacy of water, sanitary towels and much more result in issues of quality and access that affect girls more than boys. Despite the effort by education stakeholders in most developing countries to enhance growth in special education sub-sector, this expansion has been limited in most cases. This clearly demonstrates that special education has not received special attention in most countries. This is coupled up with negative attitude from the communities and societies, and the cultural disadvantage and societal stigmatization suffered by people with special needs. In addition, career stereotyping restricts people with disabilities to traditional oriented careers, discouraging them from venturing into more lucrative professional fields like engineering, architecture and medicine curriculum development.

Most text books and other teaching and learning materials used in school do not address the plight of learners with special needs, especially in illustrations and contextual representation. This has an effect  not only by making this category of learners feel excluded but it also leaves them with no role model to emulate). Such learners are often left out of very crucial part of curricula such as sex education, Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, HIV/ AIDS and life skills education programs since people believe that children with disabilities have limited mental capabilities, and do not often engage in social activities including sex and sports and thus even no special sporting facilities are allocated for them. Concerning adult education, due to inadequate trained teachers in this sub-sector, the adult education curriculum does not adequately provide the functional literacy needs of the adults.

Quality of Education

The manner of management of education institutions right from those of basic to higher education is a drawback factor against quality assurance in most developing countries. The World Bank expresses its concern on management and institutional leadership which usually determine good governance and achievement of institutional objectives. The quality of university graduates according to Uvah, 2005 could be measured by how well they have been prepared for life and services to society in various spheres of human endeavor. This quality may also be measured by how good and efficient teachers are, how adequate and accessible the facilities and materials needed for effective teaching and learning are and how well prepared the graduates are for meeting the challenges in life and solving societal problems. Education stakeholders including the government, labor market (employers), students, parents and the society at large do complain about the labor of the Kenyan universities and that graduates from public universities are poorly prepared for challenges work. Recently, the Kenyan Commission for Higher Education Secretary directed all public and private universities to continuously review their training programs to suit the changing market demand, since most employers have had to retrain graduates from institutions of higher learning, yet this is a waste of money and time. “it is our duty as  major stakeholders in the education sector to re-align our programs with expectation of vision 2030”, the secretary noted, adding that among some of major challenge facing many universities today is inadequate qualified members of the academic staff. Many graduates are hence being viewed as half-backed. The big question is that what could be the major factors against the quality assurance in Kenyan universities? Among them are;

·         Rationale of students’ admission into the universities i.e.  Some students cheat their way into the universities through national examination cheating, and these deficiencies will persist and eventually manifest in them as low quality products. In Kenya for instance, cheating in Kenya certificate of secondary education is rampant and especially in Mathematics and Sciences, since it has been easier to detect as students make similar mistakes in certain questions. According to studies, grading of Kenya’s national examination based on compulsory subjects fails many students who would have otherwise passed genuinely. This is why in some instances; some stakeholders find no logic in making Mathematics and Sciences subjects compulsory for all students irrespective of their desire careers, so that equality in all subjects is provided. Moreover, admission to private universities has contributed to lowered standards of education since students who did not qualify for regular intake can still be admitted for a competitive course in private universities just on the basis of ability to pay for the expensive course training.

·         The projected accelerated intake of form four leavers to the public universities this year’s will definitely have pressure on the existing physical infrastructure and human labor, evident by a lot of part timers in the university academic teaching staff, rather than adequate full time employees. These challenges among other s if not addressed properly, are expected to contribute to stain on available physical and human resources, and this will in turn lower the quality of education in Kenya.

In Kenya for instance, schools and higher institutions of learning, appointment of lecturers to administrative post without prior training on management and more often there is no one to direct them on what is expected of them, to expose them to management. Past researches show that there is government interference in appointment o chief executives, weak institutional structures for governance and infringement of academic freedom (Mwiria, 2007). Moreover, it is a common feature in most developing countries that post graduate student at the universities almost double the time taken by students in developed  countries such as American or European universities. In Kenya, PhD and Masters Students take a long time to complete their research, and this leaves the education planners in a state of confusion especially in having to plan for extra cost for supervision manpower and facility usage against the rising number of post graduate students admitted every year. The question is why do students not complete their degree on time, especially at post graduate level?

The reasons include;

·         Lack of adequate qualified manpower to supervise the post graduate students.

·         Lazy supervisors or supervisors too committed to their own private businesses.

·         Lazy students and some normally relax after completing their courses work.

·         Lack of incentives for lecturers who supervise post graduate students.

·         Poor schools management hence poor mechanisms to identify a very small pool of qualified teaching staff. There are cases where some lecturers have as many as 20 Masters and 10 PhD students, a number that is too high, whereas the agreed global rate should be about 10:1 for masters and 5:1 for PhD

·         The old school professors are in many cases responsible for a high dropout rate of post graduate students, mainly because of their negative attitude. Since they took many years working on their Masters and PhD, they see why their supervisees should take shorter periods.

·         Cost of research, whereby many students cannot go beyond course work because they lack finds, yet in Kenya for instance there is no university which spends more than 10% of its revenue on research.

·         Many university libraries do not have enough materials. Graduates are therefore unable to access important information and this drags behind their progress. This is a common feature in public universities unlike private universities where at least the stock in library is of recent books and journal, and even the internal services are available for research by post graduate students.

Technology is a critical form of wealth to a nation. Therefore, innovation, research, development, information and communication and science and technology are among the key MOE has disbursed a total of 4 million per constituency for 5 secondary schools. Through featuring articles and other information and other information related the disease (Africa Regional Sexuality Resources Centre, ARSRC 2006).

Technological Changes

More so, education has been made much easier with type advancement of technology especially the invention of the internet. For instance, information can be obtained in a matter of seconds from the web, other than seeking for it though long procedures in the libraries. Communication has also been made easier since the invention of mobile phone, internet and telex. Unfortunately, technology has come with its shortfalls. For example, use of mobile phones has made it possible for candidates to cheat in exams (Nation teams 2010). The invention of computers has replaced human planner and human resource in education sector. This is evident by increased number of e-learning centers in various institutions of learning. In focus to attainment of vision 2030, ICT is among the key pillars for industrialization in Kenya .This has therefore called for equipment of information and Technology, IT among people. However, the entrepreneurs have found it viable to put up IT training centers of their own, even behind shops as private business yet the skills they impart in learners are inadequate with needs of the competitive job market. The trainees therefore end up desperate and this has led to dilution of the essence of ICT standard. ICT has also contributed to the rampant moral decay amongst the youth.

Teachers and Examination

National examination results in most developing countries leaves education stakeholder with a lot of question marks. In Kenya for instance, during schools” prizes giving days, the celebrants are the individuals who have scored grades A. they are celebrated because of the great role that they will hopefully play in the economy as doctors, Pilots, engineers, Lawyers, corporate managers and Planners. However, the awarded individuals are in the minority. There is a bunch of high school graduates who obtained grades D+ and below, that we need to think about. In Kenya for instance, take Gatundu district in central province , data show that out of 117 districts schools with 9, 013 candidates who sat for KCSE examinations in 2010, 31% (3, !98) obtained a grade D+ and below.   The questions that arise for an education planner are;

·         Where do these students go?

·         What is their future?

·         What is their role in development and societal transformation?

What is the essence of this? At the age of 18, high school graduates with grades d are sent out into the world, inadequately prepared for the competitive labor market. This in fact erodes their confidence since they are viewed as examination failures. They lack analytical skills of citizenship required for societal transformation especially in a developing nation. The society is actually committing a crime against this generation of youth by condemning them to hopelessness, yet there are no adequate village polytechnics to absorb and train the so called examination failures on the hands on kind of jobs worth  nothing is that the ‘D’ culture is later exhibited in the manner of parenting their children. It produces irresponsible parents especially when it comes to their children’s education; their children go to unkempt, and are not motivated to learn and as a result, they score grades that are no better than those of parents: the D grades produces itself. Education planners are therefore left with a gap to fill, so as to make education a vital tool that meets its societal expectations.

Political influence

Despite the government intervention to transform the education system geared towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs), and political interference in the allocation of resources has been skewed towards the politically sound regions. This is evident by the parity in the distribution funds allocation in the constituencies, the decision on to carry out this allocation lies majorly on the area member of parliament. In realization of this challenge, the government initiated Economic Stimulus Programs ESP), in order to stimulate the economy. Each constituency was allocated 30 million in order to modernize their school infrastructure to be at par with the rest of the well established schools the Ministry of Education has also formulated intervention of measures through provision of funds to schools in order to raise their general infrastructure. With enactment of the Constituency Development Fund Act in 2003, there has been a tremendous growth in school expansion and hence this has brought the need to review the teacher distribution in Kenya. Political influence eventually leads to decline in donor contributions like the International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization and the World Bank.

Improper Planning Techniques

This is evident in most developing countries. Sometimes the government sends few teachers to schools rising enrolments and this impulses spending and unexpected defiance in resources. Planners have little time dedicated to their task due to other commitments and this leads to haphazard planning which later do not meet their expected objectives. This improper planning is also many a times caused by poor economic status of most these countries so that lack of adequate finance leads to insufficient monetary allocation to various sub-sectors of education leading to low productivity.

Recommendations

For a nation to develop we need to work towards inculcating a positive self image in the young citizens by ensuring that we give them quality education. We need to create a critical mass of self assured individuals. This will help in improving the quality of education offered in learning institutions. But from the aforementioned discussion, it is evident that education planners need to re engineer their planning in order to curb the issues discussed the following are some of the recommendations and the proposed possible solution to the challenge facing education planner in Kenya:

                                 i.            More teachers to be trained in all sub-sector of education so as to cater for the rising demand hence enrolment at these levels.

                               ii.            To ensure quality in students output by the university, primary and tertiary level of the education system must also ensure quality in their productivity. Examination malpractices at these levels which have a great challenge to the validity of the scores attained by candidates must be fought. Disciplinary measures should be in place by the examining body and schools should develop policies in regard to cheating so as to eliminate the cheating culture, and inculcate a culture of learning, necessary for imparting appropriate skills for future careers.

                              iii.            To ensure that long term plans are formulated properly for future development, the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling in education needs to be considered and executed expeditiously; teachers should be involved in decision making so as to promote their morale hence their support for the school administration.

                             iv.            Head teachers should have the ability to achieve the set goals.

                               v.            Community participants should be encouraged so as to take in to account their views concerning how they want the schools to be managed; this will boost their support for the school management and administration.

                             vi.            A lot of sensitization workshops should be mounted to all the education stakeholders especially the management boards in order to impact the necessary skills to them so as to be able to deal with the day to day emergence issues in education.

                            vii.            Quality Assurance needs to be vigilant on teaching and supervision at all levels of learning so as to check on whether the teachers are implementing the practical teaching methods which are normally advocated for in the in-service training, in-service programs such as SMSSE (Strengthening of Mathematics and Sciences in Secondary Education).

                          viii.            Like in North America and in Europe, there should be proper institutional mechanisms at the universities so as to identify poor supervisors; those with poor track record. I.e.  the new free to make their choice of supervisors.

                             ix.            The lecturers should get incentives in terms of lowered teaching loads, especially when they have the average number of supervisees. I.e. supervision should be regarded by the universities as part of normal teaching. This will boost their teaching motivation.

                               x.            The education system should continue to mainstream children with special needs in the national education system and they should develop guidelines for gender responsive interventions to enhance participation and gender equality in the education.

                             xi.            Appropriate gender responsive curriculum and co-curricular activities, sporting facilities, sex education, life skills, ICT and  assessment of teacher education and learning activities for children with special needs should be designed and implemented.

                            xii.            Affirmative action for admission of female learners and learners with special needs in secondary and tertiary institutions should be strengthened with a view to increase enrolment and enhance gender equality and equality at these levels of learning.

                          xiii.            Regular review of adult literacy rates and continuing adult education with a view of incorporating emerging issues in this sub-sector and mainstreaming them in their curriculum.

REFERENCES

Atkinson, G. B. (1983). The Economics of Education. Britain: Hodder and Stoughton Educational Press.

Buckingham, T. (2003) Media Education: Literacy, Learning and Contemporary culture. Cambridge U.K:

                                Policy Press.

Chiuri, S & Kiumi, K. (2005). Planning and Economics of Education. Egerton: Pangolin publishers limited.

Coombs, P. (1970) What is Educational Planning? Paris: UNESCO/IIEP

Mwiria, D. (2007)Private and Public Universities in Kenya: New Challenges, Issues and Achievements.

                Nairobi: Oxford University Press.

Republic of Kenya (2012). Sessional Paper No 14 of 2012: A policy Framework for Education; Enhacing Access, Equity, Quality and Relevance. Retrieved from http://ww.education .go.ke /Documents.aspx?doc/D=1708.