The completion of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classrooms across the country is on course, with over 2,000 classrooms completed and 350 already commissioned by the Education Ministry officials.
Education Cabinet Secretary (CS), Prof George Magoha, said the total completion rate of the 6,497 classrooms was at 70 percent with contractors put on notice, to ensure they beat the March 7th, deadline.
The CS who spoke while commissioning two CBC classrooms at Mangu High School, Juja Sub County said Central and Nairobi Counties lagged behind as Garissa, Mandera and Wajir took the lead in completion rates at 99%, 94% and 90% respectively.
He said education officials will camp in counties that are recording slow progress, to ensure they meet the deadlines.
“This is good progress and we are ready for take-off now. Kiambu and Nairobi counties are lagging behind at 46% and over 50% respectively,” he said.
The CS also called on private secondary schools that want to adopt the CBC, to budget and build their own classrooms in order to accommodate Junior Secondary School students.
He also called on private Primary schools in urban areas of Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru and Mombasa, where there are few secondary schools, and would want to start standalone Junior secondary schools, to take advantage of the ongoing exercise, promising full government support.
On payment of contractors who have completed the construction of the CBC classrooms, the CS assured them of prompt payment, warning that no contractor should be charged nor should there be delays in processing of their documents.
Meanwhile, the CS said the national exams that are set to commence between March 7th, will be fully credible, warning anybody planning to cheat in the examination process, that they will face the full force of the law.
He said that the exams are ready and have been set with considerations that students missed a big chunk of learning time, due to closure of schools occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In volatile areas such as North Eastern and Baringo, Magoha said the government has beefed up security and prepared enough planes to fly the exams to all areas to avoid delays.
The CS called on education and security officials across the country to exercise vigilance during the administration of national exams, to guard against leakages and any form of examination malpractices.
“We are monitoring the situations in the volatile areas much closely and we hope peace will prevail in those areas. If need arises, then we shall be forced to shift candidates to more secure areas, where they will take their exams,” said Magoha.
By Muoki Charles
