Why 8-4-4 system failed its mandate

When the famous Ominde Commission was set up in 1963, it recommended a change in the then education system with an intention to discard its colonial roots and relate it to the actual needs of Kenyan learners.

The recommendation was informed by the view that the system placed much emphasis on vocational subjects. The new system was expected to equip dropouts at whatever level with adequate skills for self-employment or employment in the informal sector. Thus, the new system would promote self-sufficiency among learners by offering ‘purposeful’ education.