The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has called for stronger investment in digital skills and foundational learning in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) schools to prepare learners for the changing world of work.
Muktar Abdi Ogle, Head and Coordinator of the National Assessment Centre at KNEC, said the government was committed to ensuring learners in ASAL counties had equal access to technology, digital connectivity, and skills required to participate in the rapidly changing digital economy.
Ogle said KNEC was conducting a national assessment of learner achievement to establish proficiency in literacy and numeracy while examining contextual factors affecting teaching and learning. “Foundational assessment is the foundation for a learner’s future learning capabilities,” he said.
He said the assessment would help identify challenges facing learners and teachers, gaps in curriculum delivery, and other factors affecting learning, providing evidence for interventions to address identified gaps while recognizing areas where schools were performing well.
Ogle said the assessment should also inform preparations for the future of work, particularly in ASAL counties where access to technology and digital skills remains a concern.
He said the government’s national master plan covering the period 2022 to 2032 places emphasis on preparing Kenya’s human capital for a technology-driven economy.
“What does the next ten years look like for our learners? What do the next ten years look like in human capital development in Kenya, and particularly for our region?” he posed.
Ogle said the country’s investment in digital infrastructure should translate into improved access to technology, innovation, and digital services for learners and communities in rural and underserved areas.
He said KNEC had established innovation hubs for assessment alongside ICT hubs in different parts of the country to decentralize access to technology, skills, and digital opportunities.
“The purpose of these hubs is to decentralize access to technology, skills, and digital opportunity to every Kenyan child, in every county, and to every school and community,” he said.
Ogle, however, cautioned that digital hubs should be functional and linked to education and skills development rather than serving merely as physical facilities.
He said the hubs should tap into the talents of young people and provide opportunities for entrepreneurship, innovation, and access to online government services.
Ogle identified connectivity and access to digital devices as critical challenges that must be addressed to enable learners and young people to acquire digital skills.
“Digital skills cannot be attained if connectivity is not established, and also if digital devices are not available,” he said.
He added ASAL counties needed to prepare learners and teachers for emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, advanced data analytics, cybersecurity, and digital commerce.
Ogle challenged policymakers and education stakeholders in Wajir County to assess whether schools and community digital hubs were adequately equipped to perform their intended functions and respond to the changing demands of the labour market.
He said digital skills would enable young people in rural areas to access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities without necessarily migrating to major towns.
Ogle said Kenya’s aspiration for a knowledge-driven and technology-driven economy should include ASAL counties. “What is true for Kiambu must be true for Turkana. This is the vision of the Government of Kenya,” he said.
He said digital learning initiatives should help identify inequalities in access to modern technology irrespective of geographical location, gender, disability, or household income.
Ogle said the ultimate goal was to ensure that learners across the country acquire digital and AI literacy and become creators and innovators rather than passive users of technology.
“Never again shall ASAL counties feel excluded from not only the national conversation but also the opportunities that are availed to every Kenyan,” he said.
By Hamdi Buthul
