County bosses get role in school reforms review

Acting Education CS Fred Matiang’i and Knut secretary-general Wilson Sossion (right) address journalists at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi after the National Steering Committee on Curriculum Reforms meeting. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Acting Education CS Fred Matiang’i will chair a meeting that will bring together more than 100 top officials from Education and Interior ministries to work out modalities for implementing the presidential directive issued last week.
  • The new curriculum was supposed to be rolled out this month but was pushed to next year after it emerged that teachers were not adequately prepared to implement it.

The Ministry of Education has moved to implement President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive on education reforms, which now  involves incorporating county commissioners  in the programme after the failed rollout of the new curriculum.

On Friday, acting Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i will chair a meeting that will bring together more than 100 top officials from Education and Interior ministries to work out modalities for implementing the presidential directive issued last week.

Among those who will attend the meeting to be held at Kenya School of Government are county commissioners, regional and county directors of education as well as top education officials from Jogoo House.

Speaking last week during the launch of distribution of books to schools, President Kenyatta said the process will be consultative and directed that the views of stakeholders be sought nationwide and “not just in Nairobi”.

DIALOGUE

“This is the dialogue we are looking for. This is the dialogue that will benefit our children and our country,” said the President.

He directed the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to ensure that the information on the new curriculum reaches every corner of the country.

“To enhance further stakeholder input, I direct the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to ensure that Regional Commissioners work with Regional Coordinators of Education to convene forums to educate the public on the new curriculum,” he said.

PREPARED

The new curriculum was supposed to be rolled out this month but was pushed to next year after it emerged that teachers were not adequately prepared to implement it.

The piloting of the curriculum, which started last year, will now be extended to the end of this year and will cover pre-school and standards One and Two. It will also be done in Standard Three in a few schools.

Known as the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), the new system, which seeks to replace the current 8-4-4, focuses on skills instead of knowledge.

It is phased as follows: two years of pre-school, six years of primary school, six years of high school, and three years of tertiary education (2-6-6-3).