Lessons we must not ignore for fruitful education system

 

Kenyans, including teachers, have since 1964 embraced reforms in education. Unfortunately, education reforms in Kenya have consistently been plagued by the reformers’ (in particular, senior ministry officials, State agencies and teachers’ unions) lack of knowledge and appreciation of the history of education.

Accordingly, the latest curriculum reform (Competence Based Curriculum – CBC), touted as the panacea to Kenya’s economic and social problems, meets with this failure and the search for the magic elixir begins anew; or is it?

Based on the assessment of over 12 education commissions reports since independence, education reformers in Kenya have failed to learn from the past mistakes. We continue failing to strategically plan and politicising education reform or review time and again. The dumping of the 1999 Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Education System of Kenya, chaired by Davy Koech is a clear example.

Halting the implementation

Kenya is one of the countries in Africa where, as Xu Haoyuan (a psychologist who started an online training programme to help teachers solve their psychological problems), puts it: “the quest for education reform never stops, but a few really know how this reform should be carried out. Probably because education is one the most confusing fields.” Having a post-graduate degree, or leading a higher learning institution or teaching at a university for that matter does not make one an educationist nor an education researcher who has knowledge in education reform. It is only in Kenya where this happens.

History will judge the Education Secretary Amina Mohamed right for halting the implementation of the proposed Competency Based Curriculum in the first place. As a best practice, she based her short-lived decision on available credible evidence and not hearsay. The findings of the external evaluation led by the former Moi University Vice-Chancellor Laban Ayiro were clear and to the point.

We cannot continue piloting a new curriculum which is not based on solid ground. There is no comprehensive evidence and justification from policy research and evaluation supporting the move from 8-4-4 system of education.

 

It therefore makes sense when the CS announced that the launch of the National Curriculum Policy Framework will be ready by January 2019, and that the Sessional Paper on Reforming Education and Training Sector will be presented to Parliament in February 2019.

In addition, a launch of the National Education Sector Strategic Plan for the period 2018-2022 will be done in February. These are three important but separate frameworks that cannot be produced at the same time and taken though stakeholders´validation/ownership and launched in a period of two months.

As it is, it is confusing whether the Ministry of Education is reforming the education system (8-4-4) to another system (2-6-3-3-3 or 2-9-3-3), or undertaking the curriculum reform towards learner-centred CBC, or both? Have the MoE done a comprehensive external evaluation of the current 8-4-4 system and what lessons are available that could inform any review and reform or our education system and curriculum?

Key lessons

Experience and best practice in countries like Sweden, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Mauritius provides key lessons that Kenyans, education reformers and talkers (the armchair analysts) need to note. One, education system reform and curriculum reform are two important but separate under-takings that should not be hijacked by vested interest of players including publishers in the multi-billion-dollar industry. But, relevant education reform must be anchored on a priority national goal (narrowing and naming the goal). For a country to succeed, education reform must have evidenced justification, wide consultations and involvement of stakeholders including teachers and pupils, and active independent contribution (ownership) of all agencies with one or another mandate in education.

Two, no relevant and comprehensive education and/or curriculum reform can take place if there is no abundance of quality data and research. There has to be a mandatory and consistent generation of education and school performance data. Diversity of internal and external research and evaluation mechanisms is valuable to provide evidence for education policymakers, school managers, teachers and the education community at large.

Three, there has to be a clear identification, definition and measurement of relevant core competencies at all education levels, grades or classes that are aligned to identified/defined national goal and priorities. An agency like the Kenya National Examinations Council has to take lead on such undertaking but effectively involve professionals and researchers from universities and teacher training colleges.

Four, comprehensive, sustained and flexible teacher development and training and professionalisation of teaching is a necessity and a vehicle towards successful and relevant education and/or curriculum reform.

Five, there must be alignment of resources (financial, infrastructural, human) to prioritised reforms. There has to be extensive and comprehensive resource mapping process, which include different scenarios and features and time lines. This process must include identification of what is to be removed, renovated, and developed a fresh, various inputs necessary and needed and when they are required. Identification of various sources of funding and getting commitment/assurance from the same is critical before launching and rolling- out the reform process. Accountability must accompany this process, especially in a country like Kenya where big corruption is becoming a value.

Not their mandate

Six, it is a must to establish effective implementation plans and performance management routines at the ministry headquarters, relevant agencies and at decentralised levels. These must be aligned to the original reform goal and process.

Going forward, politicians, policy makers and talkers should understand and accept that learning institutions (schools and universities) in Kenya have no capacity to produce skilled individuals that are employable. That is not their mandate.

Therefore, the government together with development partners and NGOs should create informative and evidence-based discourse for a sober consensus.

Let us follow the right processes rather than being pressured by politicians, donors, investors or tender-peneurs. Talkers must not be let to outshout the doers. Doers are those who teach students. Talkers are those who know it all and are free to survey and theorise on what should be done. A useful, comprehensive and sustainable education reform needs to be profoundly pro-doer. It is the doer – teachers/educators (not even union officials) – who have to do the actual reform in schools and teacher colleges.

- Prof Abagi is a Director of the Centre for Research and Development and Regional Education Advisor/Senior Researcher.