State Department for Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has affirmed the government’s commitment in ensuring that the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is implemented smoothly.
Dr Kipsang said the Ministry of Education will ensure that learners are equipped with practical skills and competencies aligned with the Industry.
“This will ensure that our learners transition seamlessly to the higher education level or the world of work,” he stated.
The PS was speaking during a stakeholder’s engagement on Senior School and Teacher Education at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi that was attended by stakeholders from varied backgrounds.
The engagement was aimed at deliberating on the senior school curriculum and the kind of teacher education for those who will steer the senior school system under the auspices of the ongoing education reforms.
Dr Kipsang said the education sector has undergone reforms through the introduction of the Competency Based Curriculum, which were driven by the ever evolving national and global socio-political, economic, industrial, and technological landscape.
CBC has been under implementation since 2019 and is currently at Grade Eight in Junior School. Equally, the Competency Based Diploma in Teacher Education programmes for Early Childhood Development, Primary and Secondary levels are being offered in our public and private teacher training colleges.
The PS said the government is committed to provide quality free and compulsory basic education as per the Constitution, and prioritises curriculum reforms as a way to empower young Kenyans to thrive in a competitive, industrialising and closely networked world.
“The Kenyan curriculum had to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, Kenya Vision 2030, the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and the demands of 21st-century skills and approaches,” he added.
The PS said the review at the Primary Education and Junior School has come with implications for Senior School and Teacher Education with Senior school being the transition to tertiary education and the world of work
He thanked the stakeholders for giving their input on how to improve the quality of education, how it is implemented, as well as on the progress and future plans concerning Senior School and teacher education
President William Ruto formed the Presidential Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) in 2022 to address salient issues in the education sector.
The recommendations by the PWPER have had far reaching implications for Basic Education as well as Teacher Education. The CBC has been reviewed at various levels as per the PWPER recommendations.
By Bernadette Khaduli
