CBC made a bad start, now at a crossroads

The new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) is intended to reduce the academic workload of the learners in the outgoing 8-4-4 education system and allow them to focus on their individual talents and areas of interest.

CBC also seeks to reduce the unhealthy competition of attaining high grades in KCPE and KCSE national examinations in a bid to join the prestigious national secondary schools or land competitive courses at the university, respectively. 

Another CBC plus is to make learners use their creative skills in solving day-to-day problems and be self-employed.

The government’s decision to change the education system was noble—except that it was rushed and, therefore, the pilot study phase was skipped, which would have sorted out many of the problems being experienced.

As a retired technical teacher with over 30 years of experience, we were taught that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is the agency that develops the curriculum for teacher-training and technical colleges, as well as secondary and primary schools.

Before KICD rolls out a national curriculum for a certain category of learners, it carries out a pilot study in a selected few schools in various parts of the country with a few students as a representative sample from initiation at primary school all the way to university. It follows through after graduation and assesses the absorption in the job market to rate the system’s success or failure.

In the case of CBC, no such study was carried out, hence the many problems the Ministry of Education is facing on implementation. This blame falls squarely on KICD for failing to advise it.

The ministry should not domicile the junior secondary school (JSS) in the secondary school section as that will create more problems than envisioned.

First, there are not enough secondary school teachers to handle the current student population; adding more learners will compound the problem.

Secondly, classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and libraries are not enough for these learners, and that will lead to congestion.

Thirdly, the secondary school teachers will be overwhelmed by the heavier workload, leading to fatigue and demotivation.

Fourth, cases of indiscipline will increase since, sometimes, some will be without teachers.

Lastly, a Grade Six pupil is too young to undergo circumcision. In several communities, the rite of passage is required of a boy before he can join secondary school, as a “man” will not be discriminated against by his schoolmates in the senior classes.

It is, therefore, imprudent to go around putting up new classrooms in secondary schools for JSS while leaving empty ones formerly occupied by Standard Eight and Seven. Let us utilise our scarce resources wisely.

Samuel Muchai, Kiambu