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Education stakeholders are divided over the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), with the costs and manner of implementation being the top concerns.

While some think the new curriculum is a bad idea, most stakeholders say its implementation was the chief problem.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Collins Oyuu has warned against attempts to interfere with the implementation process.

Instead, Oyuu wants the government to heavily invest in the new education system, saying it is good for the country.

“What we are asking the government is that it fully funds the CBC and removes the burden from parents,” he said.

Oyuu said a Knut research had revealed that Grades Seven, Eight and Nine (junior secondary) should be accommodated at the primary section as secondary schools lack the infrastructure to accommodate extra learners.

Oyuu’s views were shared by secondary school headsinMurang’acounty who proposed that the junior secondary learners be domiciled in primary schools to avert a possible crisis of double Secondary intake in January next year.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Murang’a county chair Esther Wambugu said this will give secondary schools time to create space for the learners.

Wambugu said currently, most of the schools are congested and a double intake would worsen the situation.

“If the grade seven pupils are accommodated in primary schools, then we (secondary schools) will have time to create space for them,” she said.

The proposal, she said, would also create time for secondary school teachers to be trained on the new curriculum.

Poor planning

In Vihiga county, parents, education officials, trade unionists, teachers and learners who turned up at Moi Girls High School to give their views to the Presidential Working Party on CBC, said the curriculum’s implementation was too expensive.

Speakers at the meeting, including officials of Knut and Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers (Kuppet), pupils, parents, religious groups and administration and political leaders asked the government to fully fund CBC.

“Even if parents are supposed to contribute to their children’s education, CBC is too costly. Let the government fund,” said Morris Chalenga, the Knut Secretary General Vihiga branch.

They also criticised the “poor” planning and execution of the curriculum, saying it had disadvantaged the first lot of students.

The pupils were represented by Prudence Chepkemboi, a Grade Six pupil from Vokoli Primary School and Emmanuel Kwatenge who is in Grade Six at Esirulo Primary School.

“The assignments and projects are good but parents say they are too expensive given that we have to do them at home,” said Chepkemboi.

Wodanga MCA Vincent Atsiaya observed that poverty was the biggest impediment to the implementation of the curriculum.

Senende High School principal Albert Masiolo complained that key stakeholders were not involved in the implementation of the new system.

“We propose CBC should be upheld but the gaps we have identified should be addressed and corrected,” said Masiolo, who is also the KESSHA chairperson Vihiga branch.

Similar concerns emerged during a public hearing convened by the team in Kisumu on Friday.

KESSHA Kisumu chair George Opiyo called for a review of the CBC assessment framework, saying schools were struggling with the cost of running the Curriculum Based Assessment exams.

“The assessment framework of CBC leaves a lot of burdens to the school, in terms of downloading, printing and uploading exams. There are also challenges of network coverage and power outages,” he said.

Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) Kisumu chair Michael Oliech asked the government to integrate ICT structures in the curriculum delivery to enhance skills development and introduce feeding programmes to cushion students from poor homes.

In Homa Bay county, Knut officials said the views of Kenyans were not taken into account in the implementation of CBC.

Heavy workload

Homa Bay Knut secretary Patrick Were proposed that the new system be suspended until the ongoing taskforce process is concluded.

“Curriculum review is not an emergency. It is a process and public participation should have been the first step,” Were said.

County Kuppet officials, however, said CBC implementation should continue but areas of concern should be addressed.

Kuppet Executive Secretary Stephen Yogo described the system as the best saying it nurtures children to be resourceful people.

In Kajiado county, parents complained about the high cost of CBC. Speaking during a public participation event at Umma University, parents said the CBC workload was too heavy and technical.

“We would want to see an education system where children are subjected to uniform tasks. The government should also cater for the extra cost being passed to parents,” said Joshua Sapur, a parent.

Kajiado Knut Executive Secretary Elly Korinko said most public primary schools were understaffed, with some untrained teachers being part of the staff.

“All teachers should be given standard training in handling CBC. Currently there is a lot of confusion. We have teachers who believe CBC is about practicals and children are subjected to expensive practicals,” he said.

— Reporting by Noven Owiti, Enock Amukhale, Wangari Njuguna and Christine Musa