Government says PRIEDE has borne fruits in line with the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The Kenya Primary Education Development (PRIEDE) project, funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to the tune of Kshs 8 billion, has borne fruit in accordance with the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Sebestian Owanga, Deputy Director for Education, stated that the five-year project involved training teachers on effective Early Grade Mathematics (EGM) teaching methodologies, training Headteachers and Board of Management (BOM) chairpersons on prudent financial management, and providing EGM textbooks to 6 million grade one and two students.
Mr. Owanga, who spoke while on the assessment and closure mission of the project in Kakamega County through class observation sessions, stated that mathematics teachers can now ensure that they actively engage, instill ethics, and empower learners during lessons.
According to him, the project has ensured an adequate supply of textbooks, and the learner-to-book ratio is one to one.
According to the DPCD, the newly adopted teaching methodologies use learner-friendly Competence-Based Assessment (CBA), which they describe as either Meeting Expectation (M.E), Approaching Expectation (A.E), or Below Expectation (B.E) (B.E).
“The CBA tool has discarded the use of derogatory words such as poor or weak that would lower the self-esteem of pupils with low competence,” he observed.
He added that teachers have shifted from a pedagogy that emphasizes quantity to one that emphasizes quality, in which learners are now engaged during the lesson, taught morals, and empowered at the end of the lesson based on their diverse abilities.
He urged principals to ensure that all students are registered in the National Educational Management Information System (NEMIS), as capitation payments will be based on this information.
Margaret Mwandale, Director of Teacher Education (DTE), stated that they are encouraging collaborative teaching and learning, in which two teachers handle a lesson together and the learners are paired up.
Mwandale stated that initially, they trained selected teachers in counties, but now, through the School-Based Teacher Support (SBTS) initiative, the trained teachers are teaching the others.
According to the DTE, their mission is to examine school enrollment, staffing, performance trends, financial management, and community involvement in school activities.
She stated that because parents and the community are key stakeholders in the implementation of CBC, they should be included in school management.
The introduction of the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) tool, according to the Director, has improved teacher performance by lowering absenteeism.
She stated that as the PRIEDE project comes to a close, the next target will be teacher training colleges, where they intend to teach CBC-inclined pedagogical skills to the trainees.
Elizabeth Owiti from Elimu Coalition (EC) and Kananu Murungi from the Special Needs Education Directorate were also members of the delegation (SNE).
The Headteacher of St. Martin mixed boarding primary school for the deaf in Mumias West SubCounty, Joseph Muhombe, praised the MOE, GPE, and other development partners for their efforts to raise education standards in the country.
Mr Muhombe, on the other hand, revealed that only grade one and two classes have adequate mathematics textbooks, while other learning areas, such as English, the environment, and hygiene, have a textbook shortage.
According to the principal, grades three, four, and five, as well as standard six, seven, and eight (the final 8-4-4 system lot), have limited textbooks in all learning areas.
He stated that the school has 370 students and 22 teachers, which he believes is inappropriate because a class is supposed to hold 10 students for a lesson.
The school’s principal complained that they are forced to admit Pre-Primary 1 students (age 4) because their parents do not know how to teach the children sign language.
The school’s principal complained that they are forced to admit Pre-Primary 1 students (age 4) because their parents do not know how to teach the children sign language.
“The little children are admitted into boarding because the parents or guardians do not know the Kenya Sign Language (KSL) and failure to introduce the child to it at an appropriate age would make them be completely unable to learn it,” he explained adding that in some instances the parents release the children for fear of stigmatization by the community.
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The team also went to Kakamega Primary School in Kakamega Central Sub County, Eshitare Primary School in Butere, Eregi Mixed School in Ikolomani (regular schools), and St. Emillian Eregi Primary School for the Deaf.
Overall, the CBC program will go a long way toward moulding all-around learners by instilling ethical values and providing them with the necessary competencies.
Government says PRIEDE has borne fruits in line with the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
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