The most controversial issue was the rolling out of CBC with two teachers’ unions adopting conflicting positions./ Photo: Courtesy
MOMBASA, Kenya Jun 14 – The Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA) has pledged to support the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) amid resistance by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).
The association announced its support for the programme at the end of the 44th KESSHA, an annual conference that brought together about 8,000 secondary school heads.
The five-day event held at the Kenya School of Revenue Administration in Nyali, Mombasa, came to an end on Friday.
KNUT, which is the largest teachers’ union, has opposed the rolling out of the CBC, citing lack of stakeholder engagement.
On the other hand, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), which is largely made up of secondary school teachers, supports the CBC.
So far, the CBC syllabus has been rolled up to Grade Four (Standard Four).
KESSHA Chairperson Indumuli Kahi said the union fully supports the CBC while urging the Ministry of Education to release the designs for the rest of the program so that teachers can be able to interrogate them and address the gaps that might be observed.
“I call on our brothers and sisters in KNUT to also support the programme because the success of this new curriculum means the success of Kenyan children,” he said.
Kahi said it is their responsibility as teacher to take control of the CBC programme.
On Thursday, the KNUT National Vice Chairperson, Collins Oyuu, said the union was being attacked by the government for opposing the roll out of the CBS.
He said Kenya is not prepared for the new curriculum.
However, they said they are ready to discuss CBC soberly with Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development and other stakeholders.
“Even as we battle with the shortage of teachers in schools, the government insists that the CBC train has already left the station,” said Oyuu.
He said the teachers ought to be the drivers of this CBC, therefore without teachers’ participation, “the CBC train will crash.”
Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, who was officiated the closing ceremony of the KESSHA 44th conference in Mombasa, said teachers are the drivers of the CBC.
“We all have a role to ensure that this programme succeeds,” said Kipsang.
He said the government has approved a capitation of Sh102 million for payment for students who were not captured by the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
According to the budget read by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich on Thursday, the government set aside Sh59 billion for capitation for secondary schools in the 2019/2020 financial year.
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