Integrating Kenyan creatives into the country’s arts and sports science education curricula

Abstract

Chronic teacher shortages and inadequate in-service training threaten the rollout of innovative curricula in low- and middle-income countries. Kenya exemplifies this challenge: its 2017 Basic Education Curriculum Framework and Competency-Based Curriculum position arts and sports science curricula centrally yet lack sufficient qualified personnel for implementation. Moving beyond cataloguing deficits, this article proposes an innovative, low-cost staffing pathway: integrating Kenya’s world-renowned acrobats into schools as teaching and resident artists. The strategy simultaneously addresses personnel gaps and specialized-skills shortages by mobilizing an overlooked reservoir of expertise able to address the documented shortfall in arts and sports education. Integrating these performers would also advance the decolonization of education by reorienting the education system through the incorporation of indigenous knowledge and skills. The argument is grounded in a 3-year mixed-methods study of acrobatic troupes and a Nairobi pilot project. Findings show that acrobats already employ structured pedagogies, mentoring routines, and reflective practice aligned with competency-based learning. Their inclusion offers immediate instructional capacity, enriches student engagement and supports teacher development. Comparative examples from South Africa, Kenya, and the United States illustrate successful models for integrating artists into education systems. The article advances policy recommendations ranging from screening criteria and onboarding protocols to new employment categories, demonstrating how a creative-industry workforce can meet education-sector needs while promoting cross-sector, future-oriented solutions to educational stakeholders.