Stop politicising syllabus, says George Magoha

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha (centre) with Nakuru Boys High School students during the launch of dialogue on the new curriculum on July 15,2019. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • While launching the process in Mombasa, Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia said 225,000 teachers will have been trained on the CBC by December.
  • At the Nyeri launch, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said curriculum designs for grades 5 and 6 were complete.

Critics of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) have been told to keep politics out of education reforms.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha warned that introduction of politics was likely to derail the implementation and impact negatively on the quality of education.

Prof Magoha said he had toured different parts of the country and was satisfied with the way teachers and learners were using the curriculum.

“We can come back to politics after we have discussed serious issues,” he said.

He gave the curriculum a clean bill of health, praising its foundation on skills. The CS said this while launching the nationwide County Dialogues on Quality Competency-Based Education in Nakuru on Monday.

VISITED SCHOOLS

“For over four months, officials from the Education ministry have visited schools countrywide and can confirm CBC is working. Ignore the prophets of doom who want to see it fail,” Prof Magoha said.

The CS invited stakeholders to give their views on CBC. The exercise comes before the Middle School stage of the CBC is rolled out next year. According to the Basic Education Curriculum Framework, middle school comprises Upper Primary (Grade 4,5,6) and Lower Secondary (Grade 7,8,9). It marks the end of the Early Years stage made of Pre-Primary (1 and 2) and Lower Primary (Grade 1,2 and 3).

“Why don’t we identify the pitfalls and deal with them?” Prof Magoha said. He promised that stakeholders’ views would be taken into account.

The chairperson of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Sara Ruto defended the new curriculum as she announced an on August 16 national conference on the CBC.

INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

While launching the process in Mombasa, Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia said 225,000 teachers will have been trained on the CBC by December.

Speaking at Shimo la Tewa Boys Secondary School, Dr Macharia said they were working closely with the ministry and related agencies to ensure the CBC met international standards.

At the Nyeri launch, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said curriculum designs for grades 5 and 6 were complete.

The government has spent Sh7 billion in building 140 vocational technical training institutes across the country. Speaking at Kangaru School, Vocational and Technical Training Principal Secretary Kevit Desai said the projects had been completed and were ready for use.

Reported by Joseph Openda, David Muchunguh, Winnie Atieno, Irene Mugo and George Munene