Elimu Bora Working Group of education experts called upon the Ministry of Education to halt the transition of grade six learners to grade seven in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The lobby group pointed fingers at the lack of enough trained teachers to handle a large number of learners. They added that some of the 30,000 newly recruited teachers do not understand the new curriculum.
This group spoke to the media on Tuesday, January 17, where they reiterated that the Ministry of Education should reconsider scrapping the 8-4-4 system.
"We notice that the process of recruitment is too little too late. Students resume on January 23, is there enough time to train the 30,000 teachers?" Cornelius Oduor, a member of the group queried.
Furthermore, the experts added that some of the learning institutions selected for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) lack the required infrastructure to accommodate the learners.
According to the group, the relevant stakeholders especially the parents were not consulted in the introduction and implementation of CBC.
Consequently, the experts added that the loopholes and inadequacies in the curriculum will threaten the successful transition of learners into JSS.
"Parents are confused the students are also confused. I am also confused and if I as an education expert am confused how about a parent in the remote parts of Kenya," the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wesonga lamented.
He further questioned why the country can not continue with the 8-4-4 system if CBC was not ready to be implemented.
"The Ministry of Education has remained unprepared. Also, many schools have failed to guarantee the safety of learners," Cliff Aboki Communication Officer at Uraia Trust complained.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Monday, January 16, announced that grade six learners will be transitioning to Junior Secondary Schools on Monday, January 23.
"The school calendar will return to normalcy with Term one commencing on Monday, January 23 and running for 13 weeks till April 23, 2023," Machogu affirmed.
