New regime should boost CBC transition

President-elect William Ruto, who is set to be sworn in tomorrow, will take over the leadership mantle of the nation at a critical time. 

The Education Ministry is undertaking a crucial transition from the theory-heavy 8-4-4 system to a new practical-inclined Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). However, the pioneer CBC class is set to join junior high school (JSS) in January in an environment marred by a litany of challenges.

The issue of where the JSS classes will be domiciled remains deeply controversial as the stakeholders have not agreed on it. The outgoing regime has built at least two classrooms in schools across the country but other key infrastructure—such as dormitories and laboratories— remain unaddressed. 

Even then, the few classrooms are not enough; we still face a looming infrastructural crisis that must be addressed with urgency by the incoming Kenya Kwanza government. The cash-strapped schools are already bursting at the seams, creating an environment that is utterly not conducive to learning.

Myriad problems

Poor teacher preparedness, staff shortages and lack of general understanding of the curriculum are among the other myriad problems bedeviling the new curriculum. Kenyans haven’t forgotten that the incoming regime promised in their manifesto to address the biting teacher shortage by employing 116,000 tutors in two phases once they ascend to the top echelons of power. 

The challenges require the new government to hit the ground running in an endeavour to fulfil the promises stipulated in their education charter and streamline the education sector. 

It should be appreciated that education dictates the future of our country and must, therefore, be handled with utmost caution for posterity.

Mr Mwirichia is high school a teacher. [email protected].