CES partners in ground-breaking education project

Celebrating the finish line: Charles (left) and Carl Friesen at the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, where they raised funds for CES Canada’s education projects in Kenya

The Government of Kenya is taking bold steps to prepare its students for success in today’s global workforce. One of the key priorities is Competency-Based Education (CBE), a new approach designed to move beyond rote memorization and exams, and instead focus on critical thinking, problem-solving, real-world application, and experiential learning.

We’re proud to share that Dr. Charles Mayenga, a longstanding CES Canada board member, has been invited to join an international team working on a research project that explores how CBE can bring greater equity to education in Kenya. The team will be led by Professor Jane Kerubo, former Deputy Head of Mission at the Kenyan High Commission in Ottawa, now a professor at Kirinyaga University in Kenya. 

The project, to be funded by the Spencer Foundation, is titled Transformational Education for Equity: A Case Study of Competency-Based Education in Kenya. It brings together a strong coalition of partners, including Kirinyaga University, University of Eastern Africa–Baraton, Kenyatta University, the Ministry of Education, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), Women Educational Researchers of Kenya, Usawa Agenda, and Community Education Services (CES Canada).

Through CES, Dr. Mayenga will serve as a researcher and statistician, helping examine how CBE can ensure fair and inclusive learning outcomes regardless of gender, region, or socio-economic background. The team will also look closely at systemic challenges such as unequal resource allocation, gender disparities, and barriers created by school categorization.

 Importantly, the study will gather insights from teachers, parents, government officials, and students themselves to understand equity challenges from multiple perspectives. By collecting and analyzing primary data from across Kenya, the project aims to provide strong evidence on how CBE can advance equity in education—ultimately leading to practical recommendations for policy and practice.

This is an exciting opportunity for CES Canada to contribute to a project with far-reaching impact, and we look forward to sharing updates as the research unfolds.