Govt Directive Threatens Babu Owino's Viral Online Classes

Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino in court on January 27, 2020.
Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino in court on January 27, 2020.
The Standard

 A new government directive on the delivery of online lessons is likely to deal a blow to Embakasi East MP Babu Owino's now-popular online lessons for KCSE candidates among other unregistered service providers.

Education PS Bellio Kipsang, addressing the National Assembly on Thursday, May 7, reiterated that anyone offering education online must be registered by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

"I would want to confirm to members of the National Assembly that whatever mode of delivery of the curriculum, it is all anchored by KICD which says that all materials going to our children must undergo vetting by KICD.

"This includes lessons and materials delivered online that have to be approved by the KICD and all those delivering the content must be teachers registered by the Teachers Service Commission," he stated.

Basic Education PS Bellio Kipsang with CS George Magoha at the Kibra DO's office on January 27, 2020.
Basic Education PS Bellio Kipsang with CS George Magoha at the Kibra DO's office on January 27, 2020.
File

The PS further added that the guidelines by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) were paramount on electronic media learning for schools.

He announced that all those with content that they intend to deliver electronically must undergo vetting first before they are granted permission to disseminate it to learners.

"As I said, there will be no content that will be delivered to your children that has not gone through the due process of vetting and assessment," Kipsang stated.

Babu Owino on Wednesday, May 6, announced fresh lessons for students to be delivered through his social media platforms barely a week after offering mathematics lessons to the students.

"Stay tuned Live on Friday 2 p.m. on my Facebook verified account Babu Owino and Instagram @he.babuowino as I will be leading Chemistry KCSE Revision. Kindly inform the candidates you know to tune in with a pen and paper," he announced.

Owino's previous Mathematics lesson saw him receive praise from a section of Kenyans owing to the nobility of the exercise, a matter that was lauded by his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.

"Embakasi East MP Babu Owino became the first-ever legislator to spare time to take KCSE candidates through mathematics revision papers live online.

"Students and pupils have been home for the last two months following the closure of schools due to the outbreak of Covid-19," the party stated on Twitter.

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