Skills and knowledge catalysts to optimise CBC
By Muthoni Gakwa, November 2, 2023I first encountered the term “competency” as an adult. My education, driven by the 8-4-4 curriculum, focused solely on one outcome: passing exams.
In primary school, I aimed for a minimum of 430 out of a possible marks, which would secure my spot in a national school and make my parents proud. However, I achieved 404, leaving me disappointed. I eventually landed in a good provincial school.
Continuing my quest for high grades, I ultimately achieved a good grade that landed me at the University of Nairobi. My father’s recurring advice during that time was clear: “Do not get pregnant.” He enrolled me in a college to pursue a diploma in human resource management, ensuring I would not remain idle.
Upon entering the university, I pursued degree in Business Commerce while also earning my CPAs. I was confident that my relentless pursuit of academic excellence and accumulating what I considered the right qualifications would lead to a well-paying job, a car, and a beautiful home within two years.
After all, dreams are valid, right?
Throughout my primary, secondary, and university life, no one prepared me for the world that awaited me. I had not acquired essential life skills needed to thrive. I barely knew how to apply for a job, let alone decide what job to apply for. Over the years of chasing high grades, my creativity had dwindled.
Despite my innate entrepreneurial spirit, the path I had learned was to secure a job, not to use my skills to tackle the societal issues I observed. As a result, I found myself tarmacking for a job for a period longer that I had anticipated.
Years later, I find myself in the privileged role of supporting my sister in raising her two children. Yes, I’m a CBC mom. Beyond nurturing academic expertise, CBC aims to build competencies in learners, preparing them to address the challenges our nation faces and those they will encounter as individuals. Research indicates that the challenges our children will confront as adults will be vastly different from those we face today.
Being a CBC parent means I am now more involved in the children’s learning, occasionally even collecting bottle tops with them in the market, or building a mud hut for a school project. While it can be demanding, I am committed to doing everything in my power to give these children a brighter future, and I believe all parents share this same hope.
However, not all parents have access to knowledge, skills and resources required to support their children through CBC. I once had a revealing conversation with a boda boda rider who was frustrated with CBC, feeling ill-equipped to support his children through this new system. How can we support parents from different backgrounds to support their children through CBC?
Both my parents are teachers, and even for them, CBC has presented challenges, particularly for my mother, who teaches in a rural school in Meru. There has been very little support given to them both in resources and training to effectively implement CBC. Almost all the teachers I know are committed to helping their learners succeed but lack the knowledge and skills to do so.
How do we support educators to effectively implement CBC? Despite the challenges, CBC holds immense potential when executed effectively. Our community boasts over 160 education innovators who are redefining learning through CBC.
I am thrilled to explore this further at this year’s ReimaginED summit, taking place at the Nairobi National Museums on November 23 and 24. We are embarking on site visits to local leaders from our community, offering immersive experiences in reimagining education.
Your participation in ReimaginED could be the catalyst our education system needs. Together, we can create a more relevant, inclusive, and empowering path to success for our children. Will you be part of the change?
— The writer is the Operations Manager, Metis