Social & Emotional Learning

Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum includes a subject called Life Skills Education (LSE) at primary level, and also weaves values and social competencies across subjects. The KICD Basic Education Curriculum Framework and related teacher guides (available on KICD website and Curriculum designs) detail activities and topics for life skills – e.g., communication, self-awareness, hygiene, empathy, problem-solving. Teachers should fully utilize these guides in lessons. If the school wasn’t previously prioritizing Life Skills lessons, allocating time for them now can directly address socio-emotional growth. KICD’s materials are in English, but encourage teachers to conduct life skills sessions in Kiswahili or mother tongue for younger children so that concepts like respect, responsibility, etc., are clearly understood. Topics like guidance and counseling, child rights, and age-appropriate sexuality education are also touched on, which help students navigate social challenges. Essentially, the national curriculum itself provides a toolkit – ensure your teachers are trained to deliver it in an engaging way (role-plays, stories, etc., not rote learning). (Languages: English designs for teachers; instruction can be in Kiswahili; cost: free official curriculum.) Basic Education Framework

Several international organizations offer SEL activity guides. For instance, Harvard GSE’s SEL Toolkit provides simple activities that teachers can do during class or co-curricular time to build students’ skills like teamwork, emotional regulation, and goal-setting. Another resource is the “Passport to Success” life skills curriculum by Aflatoun/ChildFinance – which includes interactive exercises on self-esteem, dealing with anger, etc. These are often available as PDFs (in English) and can be localized. One highly relevant resource is the INEE (Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies) Guidance Note on Psychosocial Support – while it targets emergency settings, many activities are useful in any context (breathing exercises for stress, drawing feelings, etc.). For young children, something like Sesame Workshop’s WASH-UP or DreamSave stories incorporate SEL themes (sharing, kindness, etc.). Teachers can infuse these activities into class transitions or after lunch as a “cool down” session. If the IFL survey flagged, say, that students struggle with confidence or cooperation, intentionally doing these group activities can improve those specific areas over time. (Languages: English primarily; teachers can translate scripts to Kiswahili; cost: free OER materials). Youth Research & Evaluation Xchange’s SEL | Harvard Graduate School of Education’s SEL curriculum | Passport to Success’s curriculum | INEE’s Guidance | Sesame street games and stories

Kenyan schools are expected to have a Teacher in Charge of Guidance & Counseling. To support them, there are materials like the “Kenya School Counseling Guidelines” (often a MoE or KEPSHA resource) which outline how to set up counseling programs, peer mentoring, etc. Also, the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) has manuals on handling children with psychosocial needs, some of which overlap with general counseling. One practical resource is the Emsingi Mental Health Toolkit, an online platform with videos and PDFs tailored for Kenyan schools on counseling adolescents, building trust, and handling trauma. It’s designed for teachers who aren’t professional counselors to learn basic skills to support learners. Topics include recognizing signs of depression, helping children cope with trauma, and the role of parents in mental health. Making use of these resources, the school can implement simple interventions: e.g., start a “mentor teacher” program where each teacher checks in with a group of 5-10 students regularly, or create a safe space (even a corner) where a struggling student can go talk to the counseling teacher. Ensure students know it’s okay to seek help, perhaps through posters or assemblies promoting a message of support. (Languages: many resources in English, but student-facing discussions should include Kiswahili; cost: free.) Emsingi Mental Health Toolkit

Often, socio-emotional skills are best learned outside formal lessons – in clubs, sports, and creative activities. Revitalize or introduce clubs like Drama, Music, Debate, Scouts/Guides, or Sports teams. These provide natural opportunities for teamwork, leadership, and self-expression. For example, the Scouting movement in Kenya (which many primary schools partake in) instills discipline, community service, and confidence through its activities and values. Similarly, a Debate club will boost students’ communication and critical thinking. If bullying or aggression is an issue noted, consider starting an Anti-Bullying club or Peace Club where students themselves lead campaigns on kindness (there are Peace Club manuals from organizations like UNESCO and Peacemaker Corps that can guide this). In areas with trauma or conflict, activities like art therapy or sports for development (Right To Play, etc., have manuals) can help children process emotions. The key is to integrate these into the weekly schedule so that they aren’t seen as optional extras. They not only enrich the school experience but directly correlate with improvements in attendance and academic focus – a student excited about coming to football practice is less likely to skip school, for instance. (Languages: clubs operate bilingually as needed; cost: low – mainly teacher time and perhaps some materials like balls, art supplies.)

To gauge improvements in socio-emotional development, it can help to use simple assessment tools. One example is the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a short behavioral screening survey that can be filled by teachers or parents to profile a child’s emotional and behavioral well-being. It’s free and has been used in Kenya. Another is IDELA’s “Executive Function” tasks for early years, or even just student self-report surveys (“Do you feel safe at school? Do you have a friend you can talk to?” etc.). While these are more measurement tools than interventions, including them occasionally can help identify which students need more support or which SEL areas (like empathy, or self-control) are lagging school-wide. For instance, if a survey finds many students do not feel confident speaking up, the school can decide to have more class presentations or public speaking exercises to build that confidence. Basically, treat socio-emotional development with the same rigor as academics – set goals and check progress. The IFL baseline data can be your starting point: choose an issue (say, “only 40% of students say they like school” or “many report feeling anxious about exams”) and target it with SEL activities, then later evaluate. Sample IDELA executive function survey

SHOFCO, which operates in urban slums like Kibera and Mathare, runs schools and community centers with strong psychosocial support components. They have counselors on staff and programs for girls’ empowerment. Partnering with an NGO like SHOFCO or Girl Child Network for training can build your capacity to handle socio-emotional issues. For example, they might train your teachers on trauma-informed practices or provide a counselor to visit periodically. Other NGOs in Kenya focusing on youth mental health include BasicNeeds Kenya, Kenya Counseling and Psychological Association (KCPA), and Strong Start. Even if your school cannot have a full-time counselor, linking with these organizations can set up a referral system – if a child shows serious issues, you know where to seek professional help.

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The MoE has officers responsible for student welfare at county and sub-county levels. These officers (sometimes part of Quality Assurance or under Directorate of Basic Education) can provide resource materials and sometimes training for guidance teachers. They also occasionally organize life skills training workshops. Being in touch with them keeps your school in the loop for any such opportunity. Moreover, if your IFL data shows something alarming (e.g., cases of abuse or extreme stress), these officers can direct you to government programs or partners (like Child Protection services or Health Ministry initiatives for school health). They recently have been concerned with students’ mental health post-COVID, so they might have reading materials or session plans to share.

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In many Kenyan communities, local religious leaders (pastors, imams) or elders hold sway and can influence attitudes. If students are struggling with values or discipline, inviting a respected community figure to give occasional motivational talks or run a mentorship program can help. For example, a church youth group might run a “Values Education” session weekly in your school, covering honesty, responsibility, etc., aligning with both CBC values and community ethos. Ensure such partners are vetted and their messages inclusive and age-appropriate. When done well, this partnership reinforces socio-emotional learning with cultural relevance. It also helps parents buy-in, as they see the school fostering good morals.

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Organizations like Kenya Scouts Association or Rotary’s EarlyAct/Interact Clubs encourage students to take on leadership and service, which is great for SEL. If your school can register a Scout troop or a Rotary-sponsored club, you gain access to their curriculum and activities (camps, competitions, community service projects). These external networks provide structure and recognition for your students’ socio-emotional growth. Similarly, school exchanges or twinning programs (perhaps facilitated by GSF or British Council Connecting Classrooms) where your students interact with peers from another school (even via pen-pal letters or joint sports days) broaden their social skills and confidence.

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nterestingly, the Zizi Afrique ALP program noted earlier, while primarily academic, also reportedly boosted students’ confidence and participation in class after they gained foundational skills. Zizi Afrique and others are now also looking at life skills assessment (ALiVE) in East Africa. Engaging with such initiatives might provide additional tools to integrate academic catch-up with socio-emotional support – e.g., celebrating small successes to build self-efficacy, or using peer support in learning which also builds social skills. If Zizi Afrique or similar can advise on how they trained teacher aides in soft skills (the anecdote of the boy who became a peer leader after 30 days), those techniques (like daily affirmations, giving responsibilities to quiet students, etc.) can be adopted school-wide.

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Organizations like Kenya Scouts Association or Rotary’s EarlyAct/Interact Clubs encourage students to take on leadership and service, which is great for SEL. If your school can register a Scout troop or a Rotary-sponsored club, you gain access to their curriculum and activities (camps, competitions, community service projects). These external networks provide structure and recognition for your students’ socio-emotional growth. Similarly, school exchanges or twinning programs (perhaps facilitated by GSF or British Council Connecting Classrooms) where your students interact with peers from another school (even via pen-pal letters or joint sports days) broaden their social skills and confidence.

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