NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 – President Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday signed into law the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill of 2019 that, among other things incorporates self-defense, detection, and response to weapons in the country’s curriculum.
Under the new law, personal safety skills, self-defense, detection, and response to weapons and evacuation procedures, and demonstration on security drills to students will be incorporated into Kenya’s education coursework.
The law mandates the country’s curriculum development agency, KICD, to develop and incorporate learning materials on personal safety and psycho-social skills training in the curricula for basic and tertiary institutions.
“The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Act is amended in Section 4 by inserting the following new paragraphs; Incorporate personal safety skills, self-defense, demonstrations on security drills, first aid, detection, and response to weapons and evacuation procedures in curriculum development,” the amended law stipulates.
KICD has also been mandated under the law to incorporate psycho-social skills and services to students in curriculum development.
Under the law, educators will also be expected to incorporate psycho-social skills that strengthen guidance and counseling on emotional problems and disorders that threaten learners’ ability to interact in the classroom.
The amendment sponsored by Turkana Woman Representative Joyce Emanikor sought to reduce the risks posed to students by disasters in schools and learning institutions.
“The school curriculum does not provide the learners with education on safety, particularly on how to conduct security drills, evacuation, first aid, how to locate explosives, how to sense danger among other safety-related teachings,” she noted in a memorandum of objects and reasons when the amendments were tabled in the National Assembly.
The overall objective of the Act is to enhance the country’s disaster preparedness especially in learning institutions. It is meant to also address unrest in schools, and response to emergencies including terror attacks and fire incidents that have claimed lives of learners in the past.
The amendment presented to Parliament on May 23, being education policy reform, will be executed by the national government.
“The Bill does not affect the functions of the county governments and is therefore not a Bill concerning counties for purposes of the Standing Orders,” Emanikor stated.
The signing ceremony of the new law was attended by Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi, Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Aden Duale and Treasury CS Ukur Yattani
Also present were Attorney General Paul Kihara, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, State House Deputy Chief of Staff Njee Muturi and National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai.
Additional reporting by PSCU.
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