INNOVATIVE SUPPORT FOR STUDENT PARENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION LEVELS

BY GLORY NYAWIRA

 Did you know that eight out of ten students in Kenya higher education levels are parents ? Majority of them claim to juggle coursework, parenting, and other responsibilities. However, balancing academic and parental duties can be challenging, often leading to increased stress, decreased academic performance, and higher dropout rates among other challenges.

An expectant student.

In the past student parents who were mainly women resulted to school drop out in order to raise their children and then later rejoin for continuation of their studies and this resulted to a lot of strain and maybe a little discouraging since one was left behind and ended up maybe feeling older or out of place as by the time they were joining the institutions for continuation their course mates had already moved on to the next year of study or even graduated.

However a number of institutions such as Rongo university, Egerton university's CESAAM (center of agriculture and agribusiness management), United States International University (USIU Africa)in Nairobi and Mathenge Technical Training Institute in Othaya Nyeri county are changing the landscape of higher education in Kenya by providing on-campus childcare services specifically designed for student parents. This innovative approach acknowledges the unique challenges faced by student parents and offers a supportive environment that fosters academic success.

While Egerton university CESAAM specifically offers on campus housing for student mothers and their children, a 24 hour medical support, full insurance coverage and childcare support including a kindergarten class for school aged children. USIU-Africa emphasizes on parent engagement where they provide scholarships and financial support for the student parents which helps elevate financial burdens associated with childcare. Additionally they offer mental health services crucial for student parents navigating the challenges of balancing academics and parenting.

Mathenge Technical Training institute offers Qualified and Experienced caregivers who provide high-quality care, ensuring children receive the attention and support they need and also flexible class hours giving student parents ample time to go and check on their children especially the lactating mothers in between their classes. Other institutions though not mentioned here are rumored to offer other supportive approaches to student parents such as flexible class schedules, financial support that indirectly benefits the student parents and also support groups for the student parents to meet interact and help out each other as they can relate to each other's situations.

Others offer employment opportunities to the student parents to ensure they do not struggle financially The rise of such on campus services has led to citizens such as Ruth Frank @Facebook to wish that such innovations were available back then when she was a student . Additionally others such as Jedidah Gathuya @ Facebook have been inspired to an extent of tagging their institutions on social media as she tagged Kiambu National Polytechnic formerly known as "KIST" to emulate these innovations in support to their student The benefits of on-campus childcare services for student parents are numerous among them are increased Academic Performance whereby,: With their children nearby, student parents can focus on their studies, leading to improved academic performance, reduced Stress and anxiety with the thought of Knowing their children are safe and cared for and thus allowing student parents to concentrate on their studies.

Also improved retention rates can be achieved through providing a supportive environment for the student parents. From Egerton's university website (@www.egerton.ac.ke) the benefitted students such as Flomena Cyprian are great full for this innovation as she claims that "Being a mother and at the same time a student has made me strong because I am able to balance my time to attend classes ,study and take care of my daughter".This innovation includes both married young and single student parents, as established through Isabelle Beatrice Mukandungutse who was newly wed and pregnant at the time she moved from Rwanda to Kenya in 2017 to pursue a master of science in animal nutrition sponsored by world bank.

From the quotation of her lecturer professor George Owour "Isabelle graduated in record time and with distinction, all while taking care of her child and navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic". With such success stories and partnerships such as one between Rongo university, Child Fund Kenya and Lake Region Development Program ensuring student parents don't miss the opportunity to succeed academically as well as prioritizing safety and development of children within university community should encourage student parents to be resilient and committed to excellence and social change now that they have support from their academic institutions and a lot of motivation from others who have emerged victorious in the same journey.

This innovative approach to supporting student parents is a game-changer in Kenyan higher education. By providing on-campus childcare services, the student parents are able to achieve their academic goals while also supporting their families. While to some these innovations are received positively there are others such as a Facebook user named Riga modern furnitures who criticize these innovations as expressed through a comment on a post about the launch of a daycare room for student parents at Mathenge Technical Training institute in Othaya Nyeri county where he said that "Hio ni kuencourage usherati shule yetu" available on Kuccps News @Facebook.

The question is : What are your thoughts on this innovations empowering social change in the society