Jennifer Wanjiku Khamasi, PhD, EBS

Associate Professor

Chief-Editor

The Journal of African Studies in Educational Management and Leadership (JASEML) Volume 9 comprises of four chapters and covers the following areas: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Kiplagat, Ferej and Kafu); school feeding programs (Wakhu-Wamunga, Wamunga and Rono); children social-emotional competencies (Owino) and job satisfaction (Odunga and Wanjiku David).    The issues covered in this volume are of concern and therefore raise questions for educators to ruminate on.

            Enrolment and completion in TVET programs at any level of education should be a concern  to educators.  Chapter One focuses on six factors that determine completion rate of trainees’ in Technical and Vocational Training Centres in Kenya.  The chapter also points at the challenges encountered by both the trainees and the trainers and give recommendations that could help both the trainees and the corresponding institutions achieve their objectives. 

            Some of the issues that hinder learning in most early childhood education programs in sub-Sahara Africa are poverty related issues.  Food insecurity at household level is one of the issues that early childhood education programs in a number of communities in Kenya have to address to keep children in school.  In Chapter Two, we encounter one of the interventions put in place by many early childhood education providers to help children stay in school as well as improve their nutritional status.  The chapter reports on interventions given in one early childhood development center in Kenya. Chapter Three is a reminder that one of the early childhood education program’s role is to facilitate development of children’s socio-emotional competencies.     The achievement of the competencies contribute to learners’ smooth transition from early childhood education program to primary school.  In this regard, class size is reported to largely determine how successful such efforts will be. The author recommends that early childhood education teachers be provided with professional development opportunities in order to continually provide conducive learning environment for learners.

            Job satisfaction is a concern globally because it affects service delivery and productivity.  It is a concern in Kenya particularly in public service.  Chapter Four reports on a study that sought to find out the factors that contribute to job satisfaction and forms of motivation given to staff.  The findings point at the need to undertake a larger study.