Kenya to roll out value-based education in schools nationwide by 2026

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), in collaboration with Zizi Afrique Foundation (ZAF) and other education stakeholders, has announced plans to roll out Value-Based Education (VbE) in schools nationwide in 2026.

The KICD and ZAF have been implementing a national pilot programme on VbE aimed at strengthening character formation and ethical learning in Kenyan schools.

The pilot, which ran in both regular and Special Needs Education (SNE) schools, involved 79 institutions across eight regions from 19 counties. After five months, the pilot has concluded, paving the way for the official report launch and programme rollout in 2026.

Value-Based Education is part of Kenya’s broader academic reforms designed to ensure that the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) is fully realized.

The reforms began with piloting the CBC itself, followed by piloting community service learning - which will become a subject in senior schools - and now VbE, implemented through a whole-school approach.

According to Dr. Jacqueline Onyango, Senior Deputy Director at KICD, the CBC from its inception intended for life values to be taught, a process that has been ongoing for the pioneer group from when they started to now, as they reach Grade 9.

“The main reason we are introducing VbE in all schools is because we are responding to the Constitution, specifically Chapter 6, which establishes the principles and standards that all citizens - especially public officers - should uphold,” Dr. Onyango explained.

“The CBC component is introduced as a whole-school approach, requiring students to learn the values and practice them first within the school community, which includes teachers, non-teaching staff, parents, and the wider community. Everyone becomes a part of it and helps the learner practice these values.”

During a Thursday gathering, KICD and other education stakeholders showcased the impact of the Value-Based Education pilot, a CBC-aligned initiative designed to nurture foundational life skills and key societal values.

Representatives included regional education officers, heads of institutions, KNEC, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and parents’ associations, who highlighted how value assessment had been integrated across subjects and shared the positive results from the five-month pilot.

Heads of institutions reported noticeable improvements in learners’ behavior and teachers’ capacity to instill values.

Mary Macharia, Head of Ngei School in Lang’ata, said: “I am glad we were part of this pilot phase that started in June. I appreciate the positive impact it has brought to our school. The children are living the values. Of course, they can’t do it if we don’t become role models. From the start, we agreed we have to be the face of it, walking the talk and doing what we want to see them do.”

Elizabeth Owiti, Programme Manager at Zizi Afrique Foundation, emphasized the importance of the collaboration: “We want a society where children and citizens are more responsible and able to live together peacefully. We realized that the whole-school approach is the best way to achieve this, involving everyone, from the guard at the gate to the teachers and parents.”

The eight core values in the VbE program, which will be integrated across all subjects and levels of learning, include: love, integrity, peace, patriotism, unity, respect, responsibility, and social justice.