Let’s improve, not trash, CBC

Barely three years into the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), complaints and disgruntlement abound on its feasibility. The December 2018 postponement of the national rollout for a year by then-Education CS Amina Mohammed, and her turnaround a week later, provided fertile ground for Kenyans to cast aspersions on the readiness of the ministry to deliver CBC.

I have substantively studied the CBC frameworks as progressively released by KICD, right from Grades 1-5, and a few for G6. Throughout my career, I have taught in schools offering international curricula — such as Cambridge International Education, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Edexcel. CBC has heavily borrowed from them.

Conspicuous in these curricula is the aspect of parental involvement. At all levels, the learners are supposed to understand their surroundings, assess the needs and come up with relevant responses to them. Thus, they are set to become the solutions.

Private tutors

The best way for that is through incorporation of the parent in the learning. In well-off families, parents have hired private tutors to engage their children and help them with school assignments.

Evidently, the curriculum is laborious, but it is worth it. The international curricula, however, require greater financial endowment. Consider that most Kenyan homes cannot afford such costs.

KICD should meticulously review all the textbooks. Quality and applicability of the set content and homework should meet the needs and abilities of learners. Teachers shouldn’t just use any book since most commercial publishers have no professional internal regulatory and control mechanisms.

Considering that the government has spent a sizable amount of money in implementation of this curriculum, through purchase and supply of books and other materials, training of personnel, etc., quashing the curriculum will fritter away resources. The critics of the curriculum need to suggest ways of improving the same, but not demand complete trashing, as this will be an act of pessimism.

Mr Gisemba is a teacher. [email protected].