Education stakeholders in Tharaka Nithi poke holes in CBC

Education stakeholders in Tharaka Nithi County want the junior secondary in the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) domiciled in primary school and renamed senior primary.

In their submissions to the task force appointed by President William Ruto to evaluate CBC at Chuka University on Friday, they argued that Grade Six pupils are very young and need direct care and supervision of their parents.

They also argued that with the government’s 100 percent transition policy, secondary schools are already straining with inadequate infrastructure and a double intake would be unbearable.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) executive secretary, Njeru Mutani said the investigation conducted by teachers revealed that even secondary school students are not ready to welcome the Grade Six learners and want them to remain in primary school.

The Grade Six pupils are set to sit for the national examination from November 28 in order to proceed to junior secondary next year if there will be no changes in CBC.

“We have been resisting taking Grade Six pupils to secondary school since 2017 but the government chose to ignore us,” said Mr Mutani.

Chuka University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary-General, Thomas Motindi said the transition from senior secondary to university under CBC is expected in 2029 yet the university curriculum is yet to be revised in line with CBC.

1.2 million students

He stated that the enrollment of universities is expected to more than double in 2029 from the current 510,000 to 1.2 million which would overstretch the already strained infrastructure.

“If CBC is to be implemented, the government will have to increase budget allocation for universities for infrastructural development and also revise university curriculum,” said Mr Motindi.

Tharaka Nithi County Director of Education, Ms Bridget Wambua said the government needs to employ more officers to man the implementation of CBC noting that all departments are currently understaffed.

She added that the county is struggling with only one vehicle in every sub-county and very few drivers making it almost impossible to work.

“I have one vehicle that is currently grounded and sometimes the vehicle is in good condition but there is no driver,” said Ms Wambua.

Burden parents

Chuka Jamia Mosque Imam Abdinasir Mugambi said CBC is too expensive and parent-engaging and that it should be revised.

He said some parents are not able to help their children in doing assignments as required and some do not even have money to buy the required materials.

“The CBC is too expensive and some learners will be disadvantaged because not all parents are able to help them in doing academic assignments as required or even have money to buy materials,” said Mr Mugambi.

He added that Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) should be taken from the county government to the national government so that education can be run by the central government.

He noted that with 10 years of devolution, ECDE pupils are still learning under trees and in dilapidated classes in some schools and the quality of education is very poor.

Mr Joseph Rutere, a special needs teacher said CBC has very little about the learners with special needs and that it should be relooked into if it is to be implemented.

He said even in the current 844 system, learners with special needs survive under very difficult conditions because teachers do not have teaching materials and even the infrastructure is not friendly.

He said teachers raise funds among themselves to buy books for teaching the pupils and when the government introduced tablets in the regular primary schools, the special learners were never considered.