Research findings currently launched by way of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) show that Kenyan schools are woefully unprepared to force the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to replace the so-known 8-4-4 machine. The report comes at a time when u . S. A. Is grappling with issues of curriculum evaluation and the reform procedure, trainer education and recruitment, the components and implementation of countrywide education coverage, and the implementation of CBC. The research, conducted via KNUT, seemed into troubles of teacher preparedness, the supply and adequacy of teaching materials, the extent of engagement between teachers and parents, and the demanding situations faced via headteachers and coaching bodies of teachers workers in implementing CBC.
KNUT concludes that the implementation of CBC has been hurriedly undertaken at the same time as the general public of teachers has not been sufficiently educated in CBC content material and teaching methods. It provides that maximum pre-number one teachers, as well as those for grades one to three have no longer obtained any education in any way at the same time as those who did attend training workshops, were inadequately educated using trainers and facilitators who had been themselves incompetent in the transport of the CBC method.
The studies also located that the training sessions have been poorly carried out and that their effectiveness fell well under expectancies, hindering the capability of instructors to design, determine, and examine the transport of lessons and inexperienced persons’ effects. The file additionally notes that the resources and infrastructure required for getting to know, evaluation, and potential-building within the CBC method—which might be completely one of a kind from those in use inside the modern-day system—are non-existent or inadequate at first-class. Parents and other stakeholders have no longer been involved within the reform system, nor have public awareness campaigns been performed following the roll-out of CBC.
The CBC system and layout
Formal schooling changed into brought in Kenya at some point in the British colonial generation. Between 1964 and 1985, the education cycle comprised seven years of primary faculty, 4 years of secondary college, two years of high college, and 3 years of university education. The eight-four-four machine of schooling—eight years of number one school, 4 years of secondary faculty, and four years of college schooling—changed into introduced in January 1985 to cope with issues that the simple schooling formerly provided lacked the vital content material to sell large sustainable self-employment.
The Kenyan primary faculty curriculum is authorized for all public colleges and maximum non-public faculties—except global faculties, which typically offer the British or American curriculum. The subjects studied at the primary level are English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Religious Education, Creative Arts, Physical Education, and Life Skills. Pupils take a countrywide exam at the quit of the number one cycle with the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) consequences figuring out placement in secondary faculty.
In a major departure from the 8-4-4 system, the proposed CBC device was launched in 2017 and is designed to incorporate two years of pre-primary schooling, six years of education, three years of junior secondary education, and three years of education senior secondary education, and 3 years of university. The Kenyan CBC is designed with the goal that at the quit of every mastering cycle, each learner could be competent within the following seven center competency areas: conversation and collaboration; vital questioning and problem-solving; imagination and creativity; citizenship; mastering to study; self-efficacy; and digital literacy.
CBC emphasizes competence improvement as opposed to the acquisition of content material information. This correctly approaches that the coaching and gaining knowledge of technology has to alternate its orientation from rote memorization of content to acquiring abilities and abilties beneficial for solving real-existence problems. Teaching techniques include position-play, trouble-solving, initiatives, case studies, and a look at visits among different learner-concentrated strategies. The teacher is expected to switch from an expert to that a facilitator who guides the mastering procedure. Learners are predicted to take responsibility for their personal gaining knowledge through direct exploration and enjoyment. In contrast, their instructors are predicted to design powerful learning sports geared toward the improvement of unique abilities.
Moreover, the revised curriculum calls for teachers to regularly verify their students’ usage of evaluation techniques, such as portfolios, classroom or area observation, projects, oral presentations, self-checks, interviews, and peer assessments. Teachers are also required to alternate from a norm-referenced to a criterion-referenced judgment of inexperienced persons’ talents or abilities to determine their development. Finally, instructors are alleged to provide continuous, timely, and optimistic remarks to tell their college students about the strengths and weaknesses in their performance because instruction and gaining knowledge are reviewed and changed primarily based on the comments.