When many of us think back to our early years in school, we remember the simplicity of learning. A wooden desk, a battered exercise book, and the determination of a teacher who insisted that neat handwriting was a non-negotiable life skill.
In many Kenyan classrooms, those early habits shaped the way we think, write, and express ourselves. Yet, along the way, foundational learning, the bedrock of every child’s education, has started to slip through the cracks.
Over the past decade, Kenya has invested heavily in curriculum reform, digital tools, and classroom infrastructure. These investments matter.
But the uncomfortable truth is that a child’s future still hinges on whether they can read confidently, write clearly, and express their ideas with curiosity and imagination. No tablet can replace the discipline of forming a sentence.
No smartboard can substitute the mental work of sounding out syllables.
The basics remain the anchor. Teachers are sounding the alarm. Many report that learners in upper primary and even junior secondary are struggling with reading comprehension and handwriting. Some pupils can navigate digital devices with ease yet freeze when asked to summarise a paragraph.
Others can scroll but cannot spell. These are not isolated stories, they reflect a deeper national challenge. Foundational learning is weakening at the very moment the demands of the modern world are increasing.
Today’s classrooms are evolving quickly, and teachers are working hard to balance many new expectations. With expanded curricula, emerging competencies, and growing class sizes in some areas, it has become more challenging to dedicate consistent time to the slow, steady practice that strengthens early literacy and writing.
Across the country, teachers are doing their best to support learners within the realities of their environments, often adapting creatively to ensure every child gets the attention they need.
Yet foundational learning is not simply about academics. It shapes confidence. A child who can write a clear sentence begins to believe in their ability to communicate. A child who reads widely develops curiosity and imagination.
A child encouraged to draw, colour, and create builds problem-solving skills long before encountering formal definitions of critical thinking. These are the small, everyday acts of learning that determine whether a young person later thrives in science, business, entrepreneurship, or civic life.
This is where the quiet story of simple tools comes in. Ask any Kenyan adult about their earliest memories of school and you will hear about the value placed on a basic pen, pencil, or exercise book.
The simplicity of those tools taught discipline, responsibility, and the idea that learning was something you carried with you.
Today, the story has shifted. Many learners still lack or experience limited access to essential classroom materials, especially in communities where economic pressures make it difficult for families to provide everything children need for school.
In these contexts, teachers and community groups often step in with ingenuity and resourcefulness, ensuring learners continue to participate fully.
This is not a sentimental argument romanticising the past. It is a practical one. Foundational learning improves when children have what they need to practice. Countries that outperform globally in literacy and numeracy from Singapore to Rwanda consistently invest in early learning tools, teacher support, and classroom engagement.
Kenya has made remarkable progress in expanding school enrolment, but enrolment without foundational mastery is an illusion of success.
The good news is that change is entirely within reach. Across the country, teachers are leading the way, innovating, adapting, and finding creative methods to keep foundational learning alive. Some schools have introduced morning reading circles where learners read aloud together. Others use peer-learning stations where older pupils support younger ones.
Community libraries are emerging in neighbourhoods where books were once a rarity. These efforts prove that when we prioritise the basics, learning accelerates.
The private sector has also played a meaningful role by supporting classroom materials and creative expression programs. Initiatives such as school pen donations and creative writing workshops demonstrate that partnerships can strengthen learning ecosystems, particularly in underserved communities.
These efforts are not about products, they are about opportunity. A child who finally gets their own pen or book is a child who can participate actively, not passively.
But lasting transformation requires a national rethink. Foundational learning must be treated not as a nostalgic memory, but as a strategic investment. We cannot expect young people to excel in STEM fields if they struggle with written instructions.
We cannot build a knowledge economy if reading for pleasure declines. We cannot demand innovation while neglecting the tools that cultivate imagination.
Parents also have a role to play. Reading at home, encouraging handwriting practice, and nurturing curiosity can make a significant difference.
Foundational skills are not built in school alone, they are reinforced in homes, libraries, through play, and community spaces. When a child sees adults reading or writing, it normalises the culture of learning.
Ultimately, Kenya’s future depends on whether we choose to rebuild the strong base on which all other learning rests. Strong foundational skills produce confident, articulate, creative citizens capable of navigating the demands of a rapidly changing world. This is not an education agenda, it is a national development agenda.
If we want a generation that thinks critically, communicates clearly, and competes globally, we must return to the basics with renewed urgency. The tools may be simple, but their impact is profound. A pen, a book, a teacher, and a child eager to learn, that is still where Kenya’s future begins.
The writer is the General Manager, BIC East Africa
