Group roots for inter-sex issues in new curriculum

What you need to know:

  • People with gender disorders want the proposed new school curriculum to offer learning skills that accommodate children with both boy/girl conditions.
  • Audrey Mbugua Ithibu said the new curriculum should allow children with boy/girl characteristics respected and treated fairly.
  • Transgender Education and Advocacy group says, a girl who is “boyish” should not be assumed to be a lesbian.

In one of the most daring proposals submitted to the team reviewing the curriculum for consideration, the Transgender Education and Advocacy faulted the current curriculum on grounds it did not accommodate transgender and intersex issues.

People with gender disorders want the proposed new school curriculum to offer learning skills that accommodate children with both boy/girl conditions.

Chairperson Audrey Mbugua Ithibu, who signed the document, said the new curriculum should allow children with boy/girl characteristics respected and treated fairly.

“A boy who is effeminate and who prefers to be a girl should not be expelled on the assumption he is gay,” the group says.

“He has a gender disorder and should be referred to a psychologist or counsellor knowledgeable about gender disorders,” the group adds.

Equally, the group says, a girl who is “boyish” should not be assumed to be a lesbian.

On October 7, 2014, Ms Audrey won a court case against the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) in which she was seeking an amendment of her education certificate to reflect a female name.

Mr Justice Weldon Korir granted her wish to change the name from Andrew Mbugua to Audrey Mbugua at her cost.
The judge gave Knec 45 days to change the name on her certificate without stating her gender.

Justice Korir said a gender mark in a certificate neither adds value to the exams administered nor the marks awarded and “removal does not dilute its quality”.
The memorandum from the group is one among many that have been presented for consideration as the ministry of Education works round the clock to design a curriculum ahead of a self-imposed deadline of next month.

At a national conference held in March, Dr Matiang’i promised that the government will hold another national conference to unveil the design of the new curriculum.
According to the association, transgender people are individuals suffering from Gender Identity Disorders – a distress brought about by the feeling of being trapped in the wrong body.
Intersex persons – formerly known as hermaphrodites – are those who are born with mixed sex anatomies or characteristics such as ambiguous genitalia or mixed sex chromosomal configuration.

GENDER DIVERSITY
The association further criticised the current curriculum, saying “we have a curriculum that is inadequate in educating the society about gender diversity, identities and roles”.
The group faults the curriculum for only stipulating male and female characteristics.
Meanwhile, Egerton University scholars are proposing that agriculture be introduced as a stand-alone subject in primary schools.

In proposals sent to drafters of the new curriculum reform document, the university’s department of Agricultural Education and Extension said the move would broaden career options for learners as they grew.

Currently, aspects of the subject are in social studies. But the subject is offered in secondary schools as an optional subject.

“Teachers should adopt a more practical approach to teaching of agriculture,” said the university’s document signed by Department of Agricultural Education and Extension chairman Dr Maurice Udoto.
According to the proposals, school should get farms and agricultural workshops for teaching in secondary schools and colleges.
The university also recommends that agriculture teachers be provided with assistants to help them prepare practical lessons.

Currently, the curriculum requires the agriculture teacher to handle 27 lessons, meaning farm and workshop work will be additional load.
“If teachers were to adopt a practical approach to teaching agriculture, the time allocated for agriculture in the syllabus needs to be reviewed,” the department says. “There is need to diversify the curriculum to cater for all ecological conditions with special attention to ASAL regions.”

The scholars propose that professional development for teachers be made continuous and that the staff should retrained on emerging agricultural practices and teaching methods.

The teacher training curriculum should also be reviewed regularly to ensure that it is in tandem with changing needs.

The proposals are a reaction to request by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum in February, which called for submission of views to be considered in the reform process.

Already, KICD has released findings of a survey that show Kenyans want to see the end of the 8-4-4 system of education, which has been in operation for the last 31 years.

It proposed that learners should spend two years in nursery, six years in primary, another six years at secondary, and at least three years at the university. Additionally, secondary education should be divided into junior and senior secondary.