The new curriculum has been the subject of discussion, with experts differing in opinion. Besides the high cost of the new education system, parents lamented its cultural effects.
Several guardians told the CBC task force that the curriculum interfered with the traditional practices as compared to the 8-4-4 system. One of the issues raised, as disclosed by the task force members who toured Meru on Tuesday, November 8, was the issue of the circumcision of young boys.
Students carrying out projects in the CBC education system
“Most of them say the CBC is good but it needs to be reviewed, an issued raised is that of grade six pupils and circumcision,” one of the members stated.
According to the parents, it is unusual for the young boys to join Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) while uncircumcised.
In the 8-4-4 system, learners underwent the rite of passage after completing the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in class eight.
Furthermore, the task force highlighted the burdening cost of CBC practicals to the common parent in rural areas.
Among other issues raised by parents was the competency of teachers, who they argued did not receive adequate training.
According to the task force, few teachers were selected from each school for training. This was one of the issues Education CS Ezekiel Machogu raised while being vetted by Parliament.
“My solution-driven approach prioritizes retraining teachers to master the CBC basics and improve the system, which parents, teachers and stakeholders perceive to be expensive and time-consuming,” Machogu stated.
Additionally, the parents lamented the lack of learning resources which prompted parents to be innovative.
They urged the task force to halt the full implementation of the curriculum until the necessary structures are established.
Parents further raised grievances about the safety of the learners as they transition to boarding schools. Some students, they argued, were too young to join boarding schools.
