NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 14 – Public Schools were on Tuesday directed to use projectors instead of asking pupils to print materials needed for use in schools.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said this will cut on costs incurred by parents adding that digital literacy challenges being faced as the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) continues will be addressed.
“I am going to accept that on issues of digital literacy, there could be a problem and I am directing here that the good teachers that are working in public primary schools, if there is anything to be printed, let it be projected. It will be cheaper for the teacher to capture it and project and cheaper for parents too. Let printing be optional,” Magoha directed.
Magoha further defended the CBC roll out and urged parents to make a deliberate choice to spend time with their children and be fully involved in their education.
“CBC is telling every parent to make a choice to spend time with their children. It should be a pleasure. Every parent is intelligent. They must engage their children whether they like it or not because that is why they are behaving the way they are behaving nowadays. The wisdom is in the brain not in school,” said Magoha
He spoke during a meeting between the Ministry of Education officials and the Kenya Editors Guild aimed at addressing concerns raised by parents and other education stakeholders on CBC.
A section of parents have been complaining about the CBC saying they are having to handle too much school assignments on behalf of their children.
Others complained that the curriculum is costly as they are required to buy extra books and print materials for their children.
On September 8, Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi said he will challenge the curriculum in court.
“I have heard your cries parents, guardians and teachers. The petition challenging CBC will be filed in court next week,” Havi tweeted.
CS Magoha told off CBC critics by saying the program is being implemented by very competent technocrats.
Magoha affirmed that the new curriculum would continue despite the opposition from some quarters as the key implementers were comfortable with it.
“We have no apologies to make to anybody, this competency-based curriculum is here to stay. In my life it’s the most transformative thing I have seen. I used to be worried that our teachers will compromise it. Even the teachers love it,” noted Magoha.
“To portray government as if it does nothing, Ladies and gentlemen is being unfair. Don’t demonize me for saying so, the facts are there,” he continued.
The implementation of the new curriculum kicked off in 2019.
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