A video of a 10-year-old boy from a school in Tharaka Nithi County outlining seven reasons why the task force evaluating the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) should scrap the curriculum went viral on Sunday, November 13.
The video of the Grade 6 boy was shared on Twitter by Mungai Kihanya and quickly got netizens talking about the various points raised in the minor.
According to the boy, the proposal to have Grade 7 and 8 pupils domiciled in secondary school as Junior Secondary students would have detrimental effects on the young minds.
In the seven-point address, the 10-year-old outlined reasons why the task force appointed by President William Ruto on Friday, September 30 should change the format of the CBC to allow Grade 7 and 8 pupils remain in primary school.
The young boy stated that Grade 6 boys and girls are either 10 or 11 years old and therefore too young to mix with older boys and girls in a secondary school.
"In the Tharaka culture initiates boys into adulthood as they join secondary school - so will it be the same with a 10-year old boy like me?" he questioned.
The boy was making a presentation to the Raphael Munavu-led task force on behalf of pupils from Tharaka Nithi County on Friday, November 11 during the task force's public hearing in the county.
According to the pupils in the region, primary school teachers understand the children more according to what they go through since at the age of 10, they are still young and therefore incapable of surviving in secondary school.
"Reason number three" the boy stated amid applause from the audience, "primary schools have sufficient class rooms, currently used by standard seven and eight. These are the same classes that can be used by grade 7 and 8."
He indicated that by recommending that Grade 7 and 8 pupils continue their studies in primary school, the task force will save the government the headache of constructing new class rooms in secondary schools.
Furthermore, the boy highlighted the challenge of double intake that secondary schools are likely to experience in 2023 when they will be required to admit both Grade 7 and Form 1 students.
According to the grade six pupil, primary school teachers are well versed with CBC having been with it for the past 6 years from Grade 1 to 6. He threw a jibe at the government for training secondary school teachers on CBC when it is already too late.
"Older boys and girls in high school are likely to take advantage of the younger boys and girls joining secondary school at a tender age and introduce us to what you know," the boy indicated while asking the government to save the pupils by giving them an opportunity to stay in primary school for their grades 7 and 8.
As part of the solution, the learner proposed that if Grade 7 and 8 are retained in primary school, they can be renamed as Senior Primary School as opposed to Junior Secondary School to avoid contradiction.
The CBC task force is expected to submit a report to the President after concluding collection of public views on Friday, November 11.
