Radical CBC Proposals Seeks To Alter 2-6-3-3-3 Structure To 2-6-2-4-3.
Grade Six students may remain in their current elementary schools for an additional two years.
This proposal could reduce the government’s transitional difficulties and address parental concerns regarding the age of learners.
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms is considering a proposal that could change the current structure of 2-6-3-3-3, which is implementing Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), to 2-6-2-4-3.
At the heart of the proposal is how the current 8-4-4 students can exit the system first, making room for the incoming CBC students.
Under CBC, students spend two years in pre-primary, six years in primary, three years in junior and senior secondary schools, and three years at university.
The Standard was informed by task force insiders that the current Standard Seven students under the 8-4-4 system will be required to take the KCPE the following year and advance to Form One before the pioneer Grade Six students.
This means that these CBC students may remain in their current schools as the final class of 8-4-4 students transitions to secondary schools.
With next year’s anticipated doubling of secondary school enrollment, this system’s transition poses enormous infrastructure and staffing challenges.
During his inauguration, President William Ruto stated that his administration will devise a solution before the anticipated double intake in January of next year.
“We are particularly alive to the anxieties of parents on the twin transitions of the last 8-4-4 class and the first CBC class in January next year. I assure you that there will be a solution to the matter before then,” Ruto said.
During the formation of the team, he requested that the committee provide recommendations for implementing CBC in a manner that addresses the obstacles that have plagued it.
He requested that the team recommend a suitable structure for implementing the CBC.
This implied that the current method of distributing CBC under the 2-6-3-3-3 could be altered.
It also means that the transition method suggested by the current implementation structure may be revised, as well as the location of junior secondary education.
According to the new proposal under consideration by the task force, pre-primary and nursery school will last two years, and students will be between five and six years old.
Learning in primary school will take six years, and students will range in age from seven to twelve.
Students will spend two years in junior secondary school and will be between 13 and 14 years old.
Learners will be expected to be between 15 and 18 years old during their four-year stay in senior secondary schools.
Minimum duration of tertiary and university education is three years. This means that four-year programs will continue to be accommodated.
With this proposal, the pioneer CBC students who are scheduled to take their end-of-primary-education exams next month may remain in their current schools for an additional two years.
If adopted, this would mean that after taking the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in December, current Grade Six students would move directly to the next class (Grade Seven) within the same school in January, according to sources.
After completing eighth grade in 2024, these students will transition through placements to senior secondary schools in 2025.
Others on the committee suggested that, since Grades 7 and 8 will be secondary-level education, the government may even introduce unique uniforms to differentiate these students from the rest of the primary school students.
The Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha) proposed in their memoranda that students in seventh and eighth grade be provided with unique uniforms.
For psychological satisfaction, the uniforms will distinguish them from the rest of the students, as they will be at a higher level than their peers.
Kepsha chair Johnson Nzioka said that if the name of the junior secondary school is the source of contention, it can be renamed senior school or senior primary school.
Some committee members, however, stated that the 7th and 8th graders will be taught the secondary school curriculum while remaining on the grounds of the primary schools in order to make use of the available space.
It has been debated whether these students should be taught elementary or secondary curriculum. Experts argued that the level of education should be high school and that they should be taught curriculum from secondary schools.
The report of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) taskforce will be presented to Parliament the next week, according to the National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula.
Mr. Wetangula stated that the CBC report will be thoroughly scrutinized prior to its implementation by the legislature.
“The current CBC curriculum is a milestone in the practical aspect of the education sector in the country. The National Assembly will be keen to sieve through the CBC report awaited to be tabled in parliament this coming week,” said Mr Wetangula.
“Therefore, I call upon the parents and education stakeholders to be patient as the process of implementing the CBC curriculum is streamlined,”said the Speaker.
Mr. Wetangula also urged Kenyans to support examination candidates so that they perform at their highest level.
However, the working group continued to accept suggestions from the public until November 18 (Friday).
In an effort to improve the CBC system, it is anticipated that the working group will compile opinions and make suggestions on areas for modification.
The working group, appointed by President Dr. William Ruto, had visited 37 counties nationwide by November 12.
During the most recent public hearings in Nakuru, stakeholders criticized the implementation of CBC, arguing that it was rushed and that schools, as currently constituted, lack the infrastructure and capacity to implement the system.
On the final day of public submissions to the Presidential Working Group On Education Reforms, stakeholders were forthright in their submissions to the task force chaired by Prof. Raphael Munavu.
They criticized former education CS Prof. George Magoha for compelling head teachers to construct Competency-Based Curriculum classrooms, claiming that some teachers were compelled to dig deep into their own pockets to finance the classrooms out of fear of retaliation.
Parents and educators have also expressed skepticism regarding the quality of education provided to CBC students.
They claimed that CBC was overpriced and discriminatory, putting children from low-income families at a disadvantage.
The parents have demanded that the government ensure the efficient use of resources and provide the necessary instructional materials.
Stakeholders in the education sector have called for a reevaluation of the CBC’s content, which they deem overwhelming for students.
President Ruto has pledged to implement the comprehensive reforms recommended by the 49-member task force.
In his speech on Mashujaa Day, Ruto stated that the reforms will play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of education.
According to him, the report’s findings and recommendations will inform the next steps required to ensure that Kenya provides the level of education, skills, and training required to successfully pursue sustainable development.
The team’s secretaries are Knec CEO David Njengere, Patita Tingoi, Jackson Too, and Richard Miano, as announced on September 30 by Ruto’s proclamation.
The task force consists of vice chancellors, agency heads, principals, and additional education stakeholders.
Peter Tabichi, an award-winning educator, Wilson Kogo, a former Chesumei MP, and Jacinta Ngure, a former Mary Hill High School principal, also comprise the team.
The team also includes Kenyatta University Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Wainaina, who resisted a state order to expropriate university land during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s final days in office.
Kenyans have demanded radical reforms in the education sector, such as a revamp of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and a return to a reformed and improved 8-4-4 system.
Some stakeholders have called for a reorganization of the CBC to make it more affordable for everyone, but opinions are divided on the matter.
The taskforce has been tasked with addressing the issues that have thus far been raised about the education system.
They must submit their recommendations prior to January, when secondary schools are likely to experience a double intake of students, one for Form One students taking the KCPE and another for Grade Six students entering junior secondary.
