Matiang'i defends impromptu visits to schools, urges public participation in curriculum review
What you need to know:
- Dr Matiang'i regretted that it’s only a third of candidates who sat for their KCSE examination last year qualified to join university, a trend he said must be addressed.
- Education Principal Secretary Bellio Kipsang said the country is preparing a platform of imparting knowledge to its future generations through the curriculum review exercise.
Education cabinet secretary Fred Matiang’i has defended his impromptu visits to schools vowing he will not stop as he accused teacher unions of trying to curtail his drive to offer solutions to the education sector.
He said by telling him to stop the visits, it was like the unions telling him not to report to his Nairobi office at Jogoo House.
Instead, he asked the unions to work with his ministry to ensure that teachers offer their best.
“By visiting some of these schools I have come to learn that absenteeism is real and it is contributing to poor performance of students in national examinations. Some teachers do not go to school at all while others come to school but do not teach,” said Dr Matiang'i on Wednesday in Nairobi during a forum on curriculum review.
“I am very happy with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) as it is doing a fantastic job in ensuring that teachers do their work. Even TSC commissioners have been going to school, they have been doing fantastic job,” he added.
He regretted that it’s only a third of candidates who sat for their KCSE examination last year qualified to join university, a trend he said must be addressed.
“The results say so many things about the education system, it says something about curriculum, test and evaluation system, and how we are teaching and learning in schools,” said Dr Matiang’i.
CURRICULUM REVIEW
Dr Matiang'i also urged Kenyans to fully participate in the ongoing school curriculum review saying the exercise had taken assumed a new momentum.
“Review of education curriculum cannot be a matter of the ministry of education alone, it is a responsibility we share as citizens of this country,” he said.
He explained that it was important for the country to have a system capable of preparing children to face challenges of the 21st century without fear.
Education Principal Secretary Bellio Kipsang said the country is preparing a platform of imparting knowledge to its future generations through the curriculum review exercise.
“Curriculum is not an education function, education is a mover of the process but curriculum is bigger than education as it is for all of us,” said Dr Kipsang.
