Players in education sector worried about delicate CBC

The government has been urged to conduct an audit of Competence-Based Curriculum in schools.

According to Usawa Agenda Executive Director Dr Emmanuel Manyasa, the government and other stakeholders should analyse data being filed online by teachers.

He said there is a need to ascertain whether it reflects consistency over the years the learners have been assessed.

Speaking during the ninth Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (KEPSHA) Western region conference in Busia town, Dr Manyasa said the focus should be on Grade Three, Four and Five learners.

“It should be done urgently before we get to the point where the children are exiting primary school where the assessment is used to account for 60 per cent of their achievement in primary school,” he told The Standard.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Access to learning post-Covid and other crises’.

The scholar said a thorough evaluation of what has been downloaded by teachers over time would be key in assessing CBC’s effectiveness.

“A few teachers have indicated that some of the assessments are difficult to manage,” said Dr Manyasa.

He added that the government must look at the standard at which “we are basing CBC assessment tests.” Dr Manyasa said a smooth transition from primary to junior secondary worries teachers.

“Some primary schools are expected to host junior secondary but the school managers are in the dark. They have not had any conversation regarding the transition,” he said.

Dr Manyasa said the engagement is necessary for headteachers to brainstorm on how best they will handle the delicate CBC transition.

He regretted that leaders appear to have forgotten CBC and are busy with election campaigns.

“We may not have time to address these issues. Next year is just around the corner and we shall have thousands of learners transitioning to junior secondary,” he said.

Dr Manyasa questioned how adequate preparations had not been made to ensure proper infrastructure is in place.

“Some schools have eight streams. For them to accommodate junior secondary, the government ought to have constructed classrooms for eight new streams. Clearly, we might watch our education system collapse.”

Western Regional Director of Education Stephen Barongo urged headteachers to help make CBC work.

He said the smooth implementation of CBC in schools is paramount.