Education: Major changes revealed

Kenya will have four different types of secondary schools if new proposals on education reforms are adopted.

In a major departure from the current system, the proposals provide for specialisation at senior secondary education level, with students expected to pursue any of the following disciplines — general, technical, talent and vocational education.

This means converting the existing schools to specialised institutions or allowing those capable of offering the four to do so under different streams.

Broadly, the new report proposes to scrap the 8-4-4 system and replace it with a 2-6-3-3-3 system.

The new changes should begin in September 2013 if all goes according to plan and will target those currently in Standard Four (Standard Five next year).

That lot will sit the first exam under the new system in 2014, called Kenya Primary Education Certificate (KPEC) and join junior secondary in 2015, proceed to senior secondary in 2018 and ultimately to university in 2021.

In the new structure, a child will take two years in pre-school, six in primary, three in junior secondary, three in senior secondary and three at university.

The changes mean preparing a new curriculum and publishing new textbooks.

Learning will be free from early childhood to senior secondary school level and collectively, this well be considered basic education.

“The new system should focus on child development, skills and competencies to be learn and ultimate outcome at each level from early childhood care and development to university level,” says the report that will be launched on Friday by Education minister Sam Ongeri.

The school calendar will run from September to July, unlike currently when it runs from January to November.

It is argued that the new calendar will conform with the financial year that runs from July 1 to June 30 and also aligns to the terms dates of universities.

Universities, following on the old British system, have traditionally admitted new students in September and closed for long vacation between May and August.

To implement the new system, the report says all schools should be upgraded and expanded to create a new learning environment.

In particular, it says the current day and boarding secondary schools should be converted into junior and secondary schools.

But junior secondary schools can be established within the existing primary schools in the same way the defunct ‘harambee’ schools were started in the 1970s/80s.

More senior schools should also be established to ensure that all qualifiers get admission to that level.

For the transition, the government will require Sh360 billion in the 2012/13 financial year to provide the infrastructure, including construction of classrooms, workshops and buying new textbooks as well as hiring new teachers.