Why CBC and 8-4-4 Cannot Be Compared – Education Experts
Education experts have cautioned the general public against comparing the competency-based curriculum and the 8-4-4 education system.
Indimuli Kahi, the head of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, stated that 8-4-4 and CBC have unique implementation mechanisms.
Monday, during an interview on Citizen Television, Kahi addressed the viability of CBC.
“In CBC we are talking about a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning that is more children centred as opposed to teacher-centred,” Kahi said.
Despite implementation obstacles, the curriculum has some positive aspects.
For instance, in CBC, students choose their own paths and pursue them to completion.
But for 8-4-4, students are required to take a certain amount of subjects, whether or not they are part of their program.
“8-4-4 is a structure of education so we may not compare a structure and pedagogical approach,” he said.
By the time a student reaches senior secondary in CBC, he or she has a choice between three paths.
Arts and sports science, social sciences, and Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are the accessible paths.
At this level, students have been enrolled in university/tertiary education since junior high school.
Students select sports sciences, performing arts, and visual arts under arts and sports sciences.
There are languages and literature, humanities, and business studies in the social sciences area.
STEM encompasses pure sciences, applied sciences, technical and engineering, and career and technology studies.
The 8-4-4 curriculum, on the other hand, tells students what they should study in high school and helps them choose good courses in universities and colleges.
The primary distinction, however, is in the preparation learners undergo for future responsibilities.
8-4-4 learning sessions are more theoretical than practical in terms of teaching.
Students remain in class for the duration of the day to study various written topics.
In CBC, however, students spend most of their time practising what they are taught.
For example, sixth-grade students must demonstrate how to clean the environment.
They are sent to the closest city to clean its streets.
