Street-connectedness and education in Kenya: Experiences of formal schooling as rationale for inclusive pedagogies of practice

Corcoran, Su ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3513-2770, Awimbo, Lillian, Mugwanga, Kevin and Aluoch, Irene (2020) Street-connectedness and education in Kenya: Experiences of formal schooling as rationale for inclusive pedagogies of practice. Prospects, 49 (3-4). pp. 265-280. ISSN 0033-1538

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Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on street-connectedness and inclusive education, presenting original research findings from two Kenyan studies aiming to understand street-connected young people’s experiences of education. The first focused on transitioning from the street into education or training to explore the challenges of making that transition. The second, on young people who had lived on the street for extended periods of time and were still there at the time of data generation. From these studies, significant understandings emerged concerning: a) education as motivating initial migrations to the street; b) the role of fear, embarrassment and shame in preventing young people going (back) into formal education; and c) how acceptance and support are key to overcoming feelings of not belonging and challenges faced when transitioning from the street into schools. The paper provides empirical evidence that should be considered when planning inclusive education provision for street-connected young people globally.