Children in Freedom School, a unique but little-known educational institution in Nakuru County, garnered global recognition after being ranked among the top 10 best schools worldwide.
T4 Education Initiative ranked the school amid stiff competition from over 1000 entries made worldwide under the Overcoming Adversity category.
One of the factors that motivated the organisers to highly rank the school was its decision to grant its students the autonomy to select their attire. Most schools in Kenya are guided by the Ministry of Education, which directs them to settle on one uniform for identity purposes.
Many students at the school wear African attire and 'lesos' to school as there was no school uniform.
Moreover, the school was distinguished by its multifaceted curriculum, which encompasses students learning their roots and heritage, from the origin of their clans to their traditional attire.
Teachers at the school incorporated coding, too, equipping the students with technological skills at an early age.
Kindergarten students were actively engaged in studying diverse African languages and dialects to foster their multilingual skills.
“Students also learn public speaking, as well as critical thinking, innovation, and entrepreneurship. As a result, the learners are literate and multilingual by the age of three,” T4 education noted.
The organisation stated that the school was also recognised for proving that African children thrive and flourish when the curriculum is tweaked to boost to address specific needs.
“These approaches have developed a deep sense of pride, self-efficacy, and identity among the students.
“It encouraged children to embrace their skin colour, natural hair colour, and brilliance. The school also adopted African prints and outfits, as well as promoted the powerful African value of 'Ubuntu,” added the organisation.
Originally, the school adopted a programme that offered scholarships to disadvantaged students in the area. By June 2023, Children in Freedom School had over 500 students aged between five and 14 years old.
To achieve its goals, the school retrained and equipped the teachers to embrace Afrocentrism in their teaching.
Other schools in the top 10 were Cadoxton Primary School(Wales, UK), Colegio Impacto de MAIA(Guatemala), Escuela Litoral Austral(Chile), Feversham Primary Academy(England, UK) and Colegio Campestre ICAL(Chía, Colombia).
Additionally, Government Girls Day Secondary School, Runjin Sambo(Sokoto, Nigeria), Physics and Mathematics Specialized School named after Artashes Shahinyan under the Yerevan State University(Armenia), Snehalaya English Medium School
(India), The Max Rayne Hand in Hand School (Jerusalem, Israel) also made it in the top ten under the category.
