NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 12 – The Presidential Working Party on Education Reform tasked to review the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) Friday accomplished hearing the public views and is expected to give out their recommendations early next week.
The chairperson of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform Prof. Raphael Munavu said the committee has already heard public views from 37 counties.
Munavu was speaking to the media Friday after leading the public hearings on education reforms at the University of Nairobi
He said his committee is going to read all the memorandum presented to them by different stakeholders then compile the proposals.
The chairperson admitted that there is a need to learn from one another and the views that everyone has to better the education system.
“I can tell you for sure, Kenya has one of the best education systems which has produced the best specialists. All we are doing is public sensitization on CBC, because there has been a paradigm shift, very different from the former 8-4-4 education system,” said Munavu.
He noted that at the end of the process, there must be a professional development and thus the government should concentrate in training teachers on CBC for better implementation.
The University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor and a member of the committee Prof. Stephen Gitahi Kiama, said they shall be able to compile a report after hearing the public and advice the president accordingly.
“Education is not about employability; it’s about opening one’s mind to see beyond so that one will not only train in a certain field because they want to do a certain business. That is why government funding is key to the CBC to see that no one is left behind in education simply because they could not afford money to pay for their fees,” said Kiama.
He said education is costly and that is why there should be a mechanism to see that no talent is left behind for lack of money adding that said Universities must be resourced appropriately and there must be resources for research.
“The Science, Technology and Innovation Act has provided that the Treasury set aside two percent to the National research fund every year, two percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that has not been happening,” he said, adding that Kenya should invest in research so as to open more opportunities for Kenyans.
The Chairperson National Parents Association in Nairobi County, Jasper Omwega told the media that Parents feel that they have been left out in the entire CBC process.
“We have a concern regarding the transition to Junior Secondary School, we feel that Grade 6 are young to Transit to boarding schools together with the senior learners, and also it is very expensive especially during these hard economic times,” said Omwega recommending that the government should involve parents and also invest heavily in the CBC system.
Omwega observed that parents were not properly engaged and empowered on CBC matters thus they do not understand the curriculum well.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reform tasked to review the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and other education sectors shall give their recommendations to President William Ruto in two weeks’ time.
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