Climate change and education in Kenya

By Rachael Fitzpatrick, Donvan Amenya

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What impact does climate change have on education, especially in areas which are vulnerable to climate disasters and extreme weather events? In this report, we explore the impact of climate change on schools and learning in six counties in Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa, Turkana, Tana River, Kwale and Kilifi).

Through a series of interviews and focus group discussions, we asked learners, out-of-school youth, community members, teachers and headteachers about the impacts of climate change on their lives. We found that the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on education are wide-ranging and complex, causing perceived learning loss and disruption to schooling. Indirect impacts ranged from reduced school attendance in the face of conflict due to water shortages, to crop failures resulting in hungry children struggling to concentrate at school. Intersectionality was found to play a substantial role in risk, with children with disabilities disproportionately negative directly and indirectly impacted.

We also sought to identify key areas for intervention. Participants’ suggestions included improving school feeding programmes and community education options to mitigate the impacts of climate change on school attendance and students’ ability to learn. Other adaptive actions included setting up contingency funds to ensure schools are repaired quickly in the event of damage due to climate events, and improvement of school infrastructure to minimise the likelihood of damage. Remote learning options are also considered as an important potential adaptive action to ensure learning can continue when schools are forced to close.

The report also identifies the different ways in which education for climate change can be improved, from reforming the climate change curriculum to provide a rounded picture of the causes of climate change (alongside locally relevant information), to using schools as hubs for change and learning within communities.

Watch our documentary exploring our research findings on the impact of climate change on education in Kenya below. Alternatively you can watch an audio visual description version here.

Climate change and education in Kenya

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