Teachers, Parents Fault Ruto's CBC Directive

Students participate in a chicken-preparation practical under CBC
Students participate in a chicken-preparation practical under CBC
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The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Chairman Omboko Milemba hit out at President William Ruto over his Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) taskforce.

Addressing the press on Saturday, October 1, Milemba argued that parents, students and teachers should have representation on the 49-member taskforce unveiled by the Head of State on Friday, September 30.

He argued that the three categories had experienced CBC first hand and would provide valuable feedback to the team.

"Teachers are the key people in this business, they are the actual implementers. The teachers stand between the rubber and the road.

KUPPET Chairman Omboko Milemba
KUPPET Chairman Omboko Milemba.
File

"Look at this, the Primary School teachers who are being 'mocked' on Whatsapp everyday either cooking or with food that have been collected by parents, swimming on the floors or in sun are not represented on the taskforce yet they are the ones who have had the real feel of what CBC is," stated Milemba.

He further added that teachers representation should be drawn from KUPPET as well as Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) for more apt feedback.

For parents, he argued that they had been concerned with its implementation and stopped the President during his campaign period demanding the curriculum rollout to be revised.

"The following groups need to be represented; teachers of Kenya under KNUT and KUPPET, the students because we have some have already experienced the CBC and moreso the parents. When we walked around with the President in Bungoma, the people who stopped the President because of CBC were the parents," added Milemba.

The President gazetted the Working Party Education Reform on Friday, September 30, paving the way for CBC review.

Among the key areas, he tasked the team to evaluate, included the examination system, transition structures and teachers' deployment.

He argued that the findings would be implemented to make CBC more affordable and accessible to all students.

Soon after, Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) threatened to challenge the findings arguing that they were sidelined during its formation.

"As a union, we want to remind President Ruto that there is no way he can form such a team to address matters of education and leave out key stakeholders like us," KUSU secretary general, Charles Mukhwaya lamented. 

Among individuals who sit on the force are Uon Professor Raphael Munavu (who serves as the taskforce's head) and award-winning teacher Peter Tabichi.

UoN Chemistry Professor Raphael Munavu
UoN Chemistry Professor Raphael Munavu.
UoN