“Education makes a people easy to lead but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave." - Anonymous |
|
Our RELI Africa external website is LIVE!!! |
|
Remember to sign up via reliafrica.org and showcase the work you are doing as a member of the RELI network.
|
|
The leadership team held a catch-up meeting on March 23. Among the discussions was the ongoing process of electing a co-country lead for the Kenya team. Through a google form, RELI members nominated four potential candidates. The team will reach out to the nominees to alert them and also check on their availability and willingness to take up the role. The list will then be circulated to all members for elections.
This meeting also provided the leadership team with an opportunity to draft a membership application form for individuals and organizations seeking to join RELI at the country level. The form was shared with WMS for designing and uploading on the website.
A work plan for the 2021 country convening was also drafted based on the survey that members responded to during the country meeting held in February. The Kenya country convening is expected to take place in June 2021. A follow-up meeting will be held with thematic leads to firm up the agenda and general structure.
|
|
The Equity and Inclusion thematic group convened a learning session with Mzalendo to share the status of various bills and emerging insights from their joint initiative. The partnership has been tracking policy with the aim of assessing the Kenyan Parliament’s 10-Year Legacy on the actualization of the Right to Education. The group will synthesize the reports further and identify the bills of interest to determine the specific outcomes they desire to achieve in the long-run and a process outline.
The Values and Lifeskills (VaLi) thematic group held its monthly webinar on March 25. The forum delved into further interrogation of the findings of the ALiVE contextualization study compiled by the Luigi Guissani Institute of Higher Education (LGIHE). Members were able to identify relevant insights and draw links to their work. In line with its thematic group work plan, VaLi is keen to leverage membership to deepen learning on life skills approaches through visits to their projects particularly those implemented among the rural and marginalized populations. A community immersion has been proposed to the health and leadership training program implemented by Kakenya’s dream in Narok County. This will give members the opportunity to reflect on their assumptions, attitudes, and the knowledge base of their work and to gain cultural competence. A concept has been developed and is awaiting feedback from WPF.
One objective of the Learner-Centred Teaching thematic group (LCT), is to collaborate with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to share best practices on coaching and mentorship for pre and in-service teacher programs. This involves the development of a teacher coaching manual. The team has identified member organizations with interest in this subject. A joint meeting with KICD was postponed and the lead organization, Dignitas, is following up to determine an appropriate date. Meanwhile, the group has drafted a TOR to guide the identification of a consultant to support this process.
|
|
ALIVE, RELI's firstborn initiative held its fifth learn shop on Thursday, March 25 to reflect on the EALSA assessment tool which seeks to assess the four competencies: (problem solving, collaboration, self-awareness, and respect-using findings from Literature Review and the East Africa contextualization study.) This session was facilitated by Ann Hershkowitz an international technical advisor and project director at Education Development Centre (EDC), and Emma Catalfamo, an M&E specialist at EDC who took the participants through the user guide and procedure of assessment using the tool.
ALiVE has been meeting on weekly basis to work on the development of its communication strategy. With the support of WMS, the program has fine-tuned the objectives and is currently refining the strategies to reach the identified audience. The Program plans to host the induction of its regional advisory team on April 7, 2021. The forum will also be attended by technical teams from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
|
|
On March 10, RELI Uganda members convened to discuss the finalization of the research design of the study on teacher preparedness in implementing the new lower secondary curriculum. This was previously a lifeskills cluster’s initiative, which gradually drew the interest of the other two clusters (Teacher Development and Support, and Equity and Inclusion). The study aims to identify the gaps and challenges teachers are facing in regard to implementation. It will cover 84 schools in Uganda (Central, Western, Eastern, and Northern regions) within 12 districts. The findings will inform RELI Uganda on how it can adequately work with the government (TIET, NCDC, UNEB) to maximize the curriculum potential to its fullest for the good of the teacher and the learner.
The cluster meetings previously held on February 26, March 3, and March 19, 2021, by the Life Skills and Teacher Development and Support clusters, equally informed this matter.
|
|
On March 5 - 11, 2021, RELI Uganda member organizations (Komo Learning Centres, Uganda Society for Disabled Children, STIR Education, and Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education) got an opportunity to participate in the Teaching at the Right Level (TARL) training organized by VVOB education in Arua District (Northern region) and Isingiro district (Nakivale Vocational Training Centre-Western region). The TARL approach stresses the idea that students should be grouped for teaching, based on what they know and can do, rather than on their formal age or grade. One of RELI’s pillars is collaborative learning for impact. |
|
RELI Uganda members participated in a virtual country meeting on March 22 organized by WPF. This meeting sought to inform members about the new structural changes within RELI. Clarity was shed on the leadership team (country and thematic leads), staff, and host roles. The RELI Support structures (MEL Mentor, APHRC, Well Made Strategy, Shule Direct) roles were equally clarified upon. |
|
Building Tomorrow, Luigi Giussani Institute of Higher Education (LGIHE), and STiR Education joined several education stakeholders (Teacher Training Tutors, Education Development Partners, Civil Society Organisations) in a 3-day teacher education symposium (March 24-26). The theme of the symposium was; "a digitally competent teaching force for the 21st Century." Presentations and discussions ranged from reflections on the current teacher curricula, teacher training enhancement (CPD frameworks and digital literacy strengthening in Teacher Training Colleges to innovative teaching ICT tools (Teacher Training Education Sandbox, Kabba Communications app etc.)
|
|
What we're reading this month;
|
|
Join the conversation on Twitter by following @ReliAfrica and using the hashtags #RELIAfrica #RELILearning to keep the conversation going. A social media toolkit is available here.
Are you a member of the RELI online platform? Click here for more details.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
