The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms tasked with the review of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) on Friday November 11, concluded the collection of public views and is expected to submit its recommendations early next week.
President William Ruto on Friday 30, September 2022 named a 49-member task force to evaluate the new syllabus in the country, tasking them with coming up with findings to inform appropriate reforms in the skewed Kenyan education system.
All eyes are on the president as he is expected to decide the fate of the curriculum upon receipt of the task force's report, especially in anticipation of Grade six learners joining junior secondary schools in January 2023
Among other issues, the question of where junior secondary schools will be domiciled remain unresolved, ahead of the transition.
At least 3.5 million Grade Six pupils are set for the national assessment slated to start from November 28 to 30, in concurrence with the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
The chairperson of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms Prof Raphael Munavu declared that the committee collected views from 37 counties, with the last ten having concluded their hearings.
The team will thereafter receive oral submissions from stakeholders, including Teachers Unions, Associations, Parliament, and others by 24th November 2022.
Prof Munavu admitted on the need to collect views from everyone on how to better the education system in preparation of an interim report.
“I can tell you for sure, Kenya has one of the best education systems which has produced the best specialists. All we are doing is public sensitization on CBC, because there has been a paradigm shift, very different from the former 8-4-4 education system,” Munavu explained.
So far, a number of stakeholders have supported the curriculum citing it was good but poked holes in its implementation and the preparedness of facilities, learners, parents and teachers.
Junior secondary school selections were already decided despite stakeholders asking for learners to be domiciled in primary schools citing their tender age, the distance to junior secondary schools, and discipline issues in the secondary schools.
The University of Nairobi(UON) Vice Chancellor who is a member of the committee, Prof Stephen Kiama stated that after compiling the report, it will be used to advise the president accordingly.
"Education is not about employment but about opening one’s mind to see beyond so that one will not only train in a certain field because they want to do a certain business." Kiama elucidated.
