INTEGRATION OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PRACTICES TOWARDS ENHANCING MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF THE NANDI HILLS FOREST IN WESTERN KENYA (Published)
The overall educational infrastructure is grossly inadequate in most of the Third World Countries, Kenya in particular; more so resources to institute appropriate environmental education are, for the most part, simply not available, even when this education is recognized as a desirable innovation. This paper sought to interrogate the current institutional environmental and educational arrangements and practices which are pertinent to the sustainable management of the Nandi Hills Forests, in Kenya. A mixed methodological design which incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methodologies was embraced. The methods included concurrent triangulation and nested/embedded designs. A four-tier analysis was carried out once all the data had been coded and grouped. This paper concludes that the contribution of indigenous knowledge to sustainable management of the Nandi Hills Forest is remarkable. This study brings to light the essence of environmental education that is incorporative of the community through formal and informal approaches in forest knowledge acquisition and management of the Nandi Hills Forests. As it is widely agreed that environmental education is the most effective means that society possesses for confronting the challenges of environmental degradation (Palmer, 1998), this study attempts to provide the necessary impetus both for the local community, the government and non-governmental institutions to understand and become involved in an integrated manner in the conservation of what remains on this ecosystem
Keywords: Conservation, Environmental Education., Formal education, Informal Education, Management
ROLE OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IN ENHANCING NOMADIC PASTORALISTS’ CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN KIRISIA DIVISION, SAMBURU COUNTY, KENYA (Review Completed - Accepted)
Education is a fundamental right of every person, a key to other human rights. Article 28 (1) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), 1989, declares that all children have a right to education. The right to education requires that young people be given the opportunity necessary for the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will enable them lead happy and productive lives as individuals and discharge their social duties for the betterment of life in the society. The shortcomings in the provision of education via formal education, calls for non-formal education as a complementary approach to enable the adult and out-of-school youth who are unable to access education in the formal way to access education. This study set out to investigate the role of non-formal education (NFE) in enhancing nomadic pastoralists’ children’s access to education in Kirisia division, Samburu County. Two research questions were formulated to guide the study. Research Question One aimed at establishing the trend of enrollment of pupils in the NFE programmes while research question two sought to determine the extent to which NFE programmes have enabled pastoralists’ children join the formal education. The study applied a descriptive survey design. Data were collected by use of questionnaires and interview schedules. The findings revealed that, NFE had increased nomadic pastoralists’ children’s participation in education. The NFE programmes had also enabled the pupils join the formal education sector. The study recommended that the government, the NGOs and other support groups should step up their support for the NFE programmes by for example supporting the teachers who are key facilitators of the programmes
Keywords: Alternative education, Formal education, Nomadic pastoralists, Non-formal education, Out-of-school children, Reflect circle members