Today, I cooked rice.
My mother's voice during her cooking lessons invite themselves: "Always use a glass. One glass of rice, two glasses of water". I always do that.
Cooking lessons from my beloved Grandma, though, precariously border on the geek side. But she did clock the 100-year mark, perhaps, she was right. She loved her tea. She'd have tea at every meal.
In the morning, she'd have last night's tea - as she waits for her tea to boil.
One day, a member from an ambiguous religious sect knocks on her door. She, of course, offers her lady guest a cup of tea. It wasn't nearly Christmas Day, but she unlocks her antique cabinet to retrieve one from her priceless crockery set.
That happens with the frequency of a lunar eclipse.
The lady, without much ado, declares tea as a vice. Ditch it, use soya. She proceeds to quote some verse from the scriptures. It's the second time I ever saw Grandma agitated.
The first time? I had limped home like a war legend, with scars of glory. A glorious afternoon riding local go-karts down the hill had gifted me a swollen knee. She had walloped my other good knee with a cooking stick.
She matches the lady out of her gate.
Anyways, for her tea, she'd first bring water to the boil. Then add a palmful of tea leaves. Boil for a quarter of an hour. Add milk. When it boils - she'd simmer it. Yes, she'd let her tea simmer. Say, half an hour.
It's the best tea I ever had. Always wanted more.
If gas prices haven't recently shot over the roof, I'd be using these CBC lessons for my tea.
CBC has always been here. We owe gratitude to KICD for their efforts to save a generation from the apathy of clueless parenting.
This week, parents on the war path ganged up on social media and nailed the new CBC curriculum system to the cross.
It's not working!
It was rushed!
It's expensive, and meant for the rich!
Well, perhaps in another civilization.
Alone in the red corner, up against the millennials in the blue corner, KICD. No crowds attempting an intellectual Mexican wave in support of CBC.
All The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) had for ammo was the textbook state mandate to research, develop and implement this system. They fought gallantly in this duel, landing precise, sensible punches - but, who's a millennial?
He's stubborn. He refuses to accept CBC has always been here.
Unlike their offspring who's had the system thrust upon them, millennials enjoyed a very intuitive CBC foundation that molded this generation. Except, they are somewhat stuck in denial on their capabilities as parents.
We made our own toys.
Whose sister didn't make artistic dolls with adorable, hand-stitched frilly dresses? That's CBC right there. The system simply advocates for use of locally available materials to enhance learning.
They didn't buy dolls, as you do for your kids.
Dear friend, so much for relaxing this weekend. Teach that 3-year-old daughter stitching techniques for her doll's little dresses. Why does she love your phone? Oh, you have 5GB worth of funny clips.
The boys went a mile further. They'd return with scraps on the knees, bruises on their elbows. They have locally assembled a go-kart.
Yes, boys would chop wheels from logs, drill holes, fix a chassis - good to go. Well, a clueless millennial is budgeting for a huge, battery-powered car toy for junior's birthday.
Lessons on cooking, for instance - this is a joy. A kid glows with glee. The magic of infusing wheat flour, cooking oil, butter, milk and sugar into a delicious cookie. It's priceless watching a kid eat a cookie they've cooked themselves, as to one from the shelves.
CBC is being implemented in phases. Currently, it is PP1, PP2 and Grade 1-5. It's not Grade Four alone learning under CBC.
Again, I think this system saved our kids from a society filtering system, its predecessor, the 8-4-4.
The 8:4:4 was our undoing.
See, after 8 long years in primary school, you sat for the KCPE. You may have been a brilliant chap all through, but on the exam day, a running stomach happens - or someone in your family decides to die. An A-grade pupil gets a measly C.
Thus, begins a spiral sequence of events that impacts on your entire life.
Then, 4 years in high school for the O-levels. Another life-impacting exam, the KCSE. This effectively sieved a large section of the society.
You either did well enough to join the university or a technical school. Others would join the police or enlist with the military. These, in case you didn't know, value numbers in their ranks. They are no respecters of individual gifts.
Perhaps, that traffic cop on the highway leaning into your window could have been a prolific piano player, trotting the globe doing concerts.
Some teachers could have been great welding artists employing throes of youth in their welding shops. We all know a soldier with great coding skills and thrifty knowledge of cyber systems. Now, he's a sentry at the garrison.
But, hey, blame the filtration through the 8-4-4 system. CBC in the Kenyan education system is an idea whose time has come.
Editor's Note:
Are you a creative writer? Send your content with your CV to hr@kenyans.co.ke with the subject "Creative Writer".
