Education Cabinet Secretary  George Magoha yesterday told off politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto, who have pledged to abolish the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) on grounds that it was unattainable.

Speaking while inspecting ongoing school infrastructure expansion drive at St Mary’s Mukunike High School in Kangundo, Machakos county yesterday, Magoha dismissed the politicians, claiming they did not mean well for Kenyan leaners.

“For those who are talking about participation, please give us a break and leave politics out of this. The parents should start talking about CBC loud enough because those who are in CBC are helping you better in the houses than those in the old system,” he said.

Success story

The CS told politicians to restrain themselves from education matters, otherwise they risked confusing learners.

 “Let us support our children since they (children) remember what they see and hear. The old people are saying so many things which are going to confuse them,” said Magoha.

The CS ashamed the politicians saying CBC is here to stay and it was time opposing politicians got used to the reality.

“But there is one thing I want to tell you.. Nobody is going to dare and it doesn’t matter who he is to take our children back to 8-4-4. There is definitely no way you will take a class 6 pupil to Standard one to prepare for Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), nobody is going to allow you…who do you think you are?” he added.

And speaking later at Umoja Secondary School in Limuru, when he commissioned a CBC classroom, Magoha said the CBC system has been embraced by teachers, parents and learners and hence politicians can’t stop it.

 Magoha noted that CBC has been adopted by many countries around the world and Kenya can’t be an exception. 

“The system has been embraced by all the stakeholders in the education sector and it is soon going to be a success story. I would like to see my grandchildren going through the system because it is very good,” he said.

 On corporal punishment, he said teachers should follow the laid down disciplinary procedures.

“We said that teachers can only rough up a learner in defence in the event the student attacks them,”  he said.

 The CS at the same time warned contractors and school’s administrators against misappropriating funds meant for the construction of the CBC classes or any other project saying that culprits would be dealt with mercilessly.

 “ Nobody should touch government money. It’s poison. It will impact negatively on you”, he said.

The government is in the process of building 6,400  CBC classrooms which will facilitate the transition of Grade Six learners to junior secondary schools in January next year.

Magoha said the government was keen on ensuring transition politics would not affect the education future of the children saying that at least 700 classes have so far been constructed. “Only around 100 classrooms have not started but close to 2,000 are at roofing level, while the rest are at walling level.  We will meet this target by April,” he said.

Success story

Kenya Kwanza Alliance politicians led by former Vice-Presdent Musalia Mudavadi and former Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary-general Wilson Sossion on Monday, urged Kenyans to support the alliance if they wanted the country to go back to the 8-4-4 education system, saying the new model was adopted without public participation.

The political leaders termed CBC as an expensive model that had become a burden to parents who are unable to meet the financial consequences of the new academic system.

“We will do away with CBC and replace it with a system that is well understood by everyone. We do not want to play with our children’s future,” said Mudavadi, the Amani National Congress (ANC) leader.

Sossion urged all teachers, parents and workers to rally behind the Kenya Kwanza Alliance if they wanted CBC abolished.