It's time to review the CBC system and make it better

Murema Primary School pupils during clean up of the institution in Nairobi. [File, Standard] 

Kenya introduced the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2017. It replaced the 8-4-4 system, which had been in place for 32 years.

There was some disquiet among major stakeholders, mostly parents and teachers. CBC focuses on developing learners’ competencies, skills, values and knowledge to prepare them for life and work in a dynamic world.

It emphasizes practical learning and application rather than rote memorisation. It aims to create a learner-driven and flexible education system that aligns with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and global education trends.

As an educator, I feel this curriculum needs a swift review. The first area to address is the content taught at Junior School.

For instance, learners taking a foreign language like French begin at a very advanced stage. This could be an impediment going forward. Why not borrow from what was previously taught in 8-4-4 and tweak it a little?

I believe creators of the curriculum design either did their job in a hurry or failed to consult where necessary. They could have been a group of select teachers seated somewhere in a fancy hotel. Did the suggested content undergo ‘public participation’? Were teachers from marginalised areas invited to share their views? 

Since content at junior school was designed to look like ‘secondary school stuff’, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) made another grievous mistake of proposing that only graduates teach at this level. 

Why not develop content that P1 teachers can handle? Currently, many P1 teachers, especially in private schools, are likely to lose jobs due to redundancy.

This is happening while the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is trying to fill positions for teachers in Junior School in public schools.

This is truly a merry-go-round. As at now, many public schools have an average three teachers for almost 100 learners.

This is happening as we expect the first batch of Junior school learners to join Senior school in 2026. Why is the government burying it’s head in the sand when they know what is at stake? 

Finally, the back and forth idea of hosting Junior school in existing secondary schools is baffling. Next year, most secondary schools will have empty rooms since there will no Form One admission.

On the other hand, the government is rushing against time to complete structures that may not be sufficient for the incoming Grade 9 class. 

This is like someone refusing to host visitors in his empty second bedroom but hurriedly tries to build an extra structure in the compound because he wants to prove to neighbours that he is hospitable. Who is fooling who?

I will not be shocked if another team is set up by the government to look into the issues I have raised. 
Unfortunately, it will be just another opportunity for someone to make money. Why not engage all stakeholders once and for all? After all, Kenya is for all of us!

-The writer is an educationist