Marginalised Students Adopt Ingenious Methods of Home Schooling During Pandemic

An image of Student in a class room
A teacher instructs her pupils at Kotuga Primary school in Suna West Migori County on January 23, 2018.
The Standard

Students from marginalised communities in the country have been forced to adopt ingenious systems of learning due to limited access to e-learning equipment.

Learners in Isiolo have devised ways of reading while herding cattle and making use of lessons from a local radio station to continue with their studies. 

This has been the case for Elvina Ngimathi, a Form One student at Ngaramara Girls Secondary School in Manyatta Zebra about 30 kilometres North of Isiolo town.

President Uhuru Kenyatta interacting with a student of Nyiro Girls’ Secondary School from Baragoi (Samburu County) at State House, Nairobi on Friday, November 1, 2019
President Uhuru Kenyatta interacting with a student of Nyiro Girls’ Secondary School from Baragoi (Samburu County) at State House, Nairobi on Friday, November 1, 2019
PSCU

The firstborn in the family has been forced to make amendments to her daily schedule since schools were closed on Monday, March 16.

Elvina starts her day by steering a large herd of about 500 cattle for grazing in an open field together with her siblings. They then proceed to milk the cows.

She has been forced to trade the comfort of learning in a classroom for studying in the grazing fields where they constantly take breaks to keep track of the cattle.

"When the sun is out the goats graze and move about which makes us close our books but we have to remember what we have read. We have a timetable for every subject per day," explains the teenager.

Her constant interaction with the goats has enabled her to acquire the skill of identifying sick goats which are then tended to by her father.

Elvina has no time to relax after a day of tending to the goats and reading as she quickly embarks on cooking while still finding time to read during her chores.

"When I'm preparing ugali, I don't know if the flour and water have mixed well but I refer to books to read then check on the Ugali to ensure it's well cooked.

"The notes that our teachers gave us is what we are continuing to read, added with what we have taught ourselves. We have formed group discussions to help each other," she explains.

Grade three learners from the area have also adopted a new way of studying as they congregate around a radio to follow a lesson from KICD. The students lack textbooks as the abrupt closure left no time to go back for them.

Most of the students struggle to relate to some of the lessons as they lack textbooks to make references, for example, a topic on road signs.

Over 15 million learners in the country have borne the brunt of the pandemic, losing close to two months of the school calendar.

Angaaf radio, a local station in Isiolo offers lessons to class eight and form four students from 9 am to 12 pm from Monday to Saturday.

The initiative was started by Isiolo Parents Association in partnership with the community radio and has attracted other partners including nominated Senator Abshiro Halake and the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT).

The program has picked 20 best teachers from both public and private schools for learners in the region to receive the best possible education.

The teachers were initially being paid by Senator Abshiro before the NGO came on board and promised to cater for their transport and basic needs.

Students during a lesson at Kibra Primary School.
Students during a lesson at Kibra Primary School. Dr Stella Bosire studied at the school before she was expelled in Class Five.
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