NAIROBI, Kenya- The Old Mutual Group in collaboration with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has introduced a comprehensive online financial literacy program targeting junior and senior school teachers.
This initiative is a strategic response to the growing need for financial education within the existing curriculum framework.
The current Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya has integrated financial literacy across various learning areas, spanning from pre-primary to senior school levels.
Despite these efforts, studies indicate that a large segment of the Kenyan population remains financially illiterate.
These findings underscore the importance of equipping educators with the necessary tools to teach financial concepts effectively.
Old Mutual has committed Ksh. 25 million to this initiative, achieving significant milestones since its inception.
These milestones include developing integration matrices and guidelines in 2021, conducting online orientation courses for teachers in 2022, and piloting the program in 2023. The initiative culminated in the release of a financial literacy toolkit for learners in 2024.
The newly launched online program is accessible to all junior school teachers via the Elimika platform, a cloud-based training portal designed to enhance teachers’ skills through various capacity-building courses.
Senior secondary school teachers will be integrated into the program starting in 2026.
Speaking at the launch, Prof. Charles Ong’ondo, CEO of KICD, emphasized the importance of this initiative. “The learning gaps identified during our pilot informed the extent to which financial literacy could be infused into other learning areas. Financial literacy is a tool for empowerment and teaching it in schools is no longer an option but a necessity to equip learners with the knowledge needed for a successful future.”
Old Mutual Group CEO, Arthur Oginga emphasized the broader goals of the program. “We are ready to work with all relevant partners in this area to ensure we have a generation of financially sound minds,” said Oginga.He further elaborated that their partnership with KICD is part of Old Mutual’s Learn.Think.Do (LTD) initiative, which aims to mainstream financial education and promote sustainable financial well-being for Africa’s youth.
