Dissolution of science body is a bad move

I read with astonishment the government directive to dissolve the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (Cemastea) because its mandate could be performed by the parent ministry. This at a time that Kenya has embraced the competency-based curriculum, which emphasises a practical approach to teaching these subjects. Let me put it in historical perspective.

I was among about six senior officers of the Education ministry that prepared a concept paper, 27 years ago, that led to the foundation of the Strengthening of Mathematics and Science in Secondary Education programme, which attracted massive funding from the governments of Kenya and Japan.

This entailed retooling of senior science lecturers in Japan, who would in turn become trainers in Kenya in a cascaded system. This became so successful that it attracted the attention of teachers from other African countries. It then became necessary to establish an institution to manage this programme, hence the foundation CEMASTEA, which has trained teachers from at least 26 African countries. That the government would like to dissolve such a gem is mind boggling for the following reasons:

First, international bodies like the United Nations have specialised agencies that were established to focus on specific world challenges. They hire experts to perform their mandates without getting entangled with the wider duties of the UN. These agencies include the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). Dissolving CEMASTEA and having its duties taken over by the ministry would be as catastrophic as dissolving WHO or UNEP and having their duties performed by the UN directly.

Systematic approach

Secondly, within the ministry, it became necessary to assemble experts in curriculum development, implementation and evaluation and establish institutions to employ them for effective and efficient performance. That is how the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) were established. The establishment of CEMASTEA was in line with this systematic approach of assembling experts to deal with specific mandates. Dissolving CEMASTEA would actually be equivalent to dissolving any or all of KICD, TSC and Knec and getting all their functions taken over by the Education ministry.

 Not all is lost, however. The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms has recommended the establishment of the Kenya School of Teachers and Education Management, akin to the Kenya School of Government, which could take over all functions of CEMASTEA. It is a question of semantics and a slight amendments to the law. Any thought of dissolving CEMASTEA, as directed, would be weakening the teaching of mathematics and science in basic education, a reversal of our thinking 27 years ago when we stood for strengthening of the same.

Mr Sogomo is an education expert and former CEO of the Teachers Service Commission. [email protected], @Bsogomo.