Government should stop further implementation of the new curriculum until it can prove that it is much better than 8-4-4, a new report has recommended.

The report by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) pours cold water on the much hyped roll-out and effectiveness of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), describing it as “developed by a foreign NGO” and “hurriedly done”.

“Kenya is not a failing state to implement a curriculum that is developed by a foreign NGO,” the report partly read adding teachers were ill-prepared, poorly trained and could not deliver the CBC.

“Unfortunately, the impact of education is sub-Suharan African countries has been minimised since African countries have often been pressurised to adopt unrealistic reforms by a small number of nameless and faceless experts working in international organisations such as UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, IMF, World Bank who have a hidden agenda and normally exert their influence indirectly behind the scenes.”

Now, Knut wants implementation in grade four halted until Government evaluates CBC’s effect on learners during the piloting phase and makes its findings public.The curriculum, also known as 2-6-6-3, was rolled out at the beginning of this year in pre-primary one and two, grades one, two and three with grade four being targeted for 2020 following confusion on the readiness of teachers and availability of resources.

“Since no research was done to justify the change from Outcomes Based Curriculum to CBC framework, education stakeholders should commission summative evaluation of the pilot phase of CBC to determine its effect on learners,” says the report dubbed Teachers Preparedness for the Implementation of the Competence Based Curriculum in Pre-Primary and Lower Primary Grades in Kenya.

“This means that CBC should not be implemented in Grade Four before the result of summative evaluation show that it is a better approach than Outcomes Based Approach,” adds the 98-page report.

Government should stop further implementation of the new curriculum until it can prove that it is much better than 8-4-4, a new report has recommended.

The report by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) pours cold water on the much hyped roll-out and effectiveness of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), describing it as “developed by a foreign NGO” and “hurriedly done”.

“Kenya is not a failing state to implement a curriculum that is developed by a foreign NGO,” the report partly read adding teachers were ill-prepared, poorly trained and could not deliver the CBC.

“Unfortunately, the impact of education is sub-Suharan African countries has been minimised since African countries have often been pressurised to adopt unrealistic reforms by a small number of nameless and faceless experts working in international organisations such as UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, IMF, World Bank who have a hidden agenda and normally exert their influence indirectly behind the scenes.”

Now, Knut wants implementation in grade four halted until Government evaluates CBC’s effect on learners during the piloting phase and makes its findings public.The curriculum, also known as 2-6-6-3, was rolled out at the beginning of this year in pre-primary one and two, grades one, two and three with grade four being targeted for 2020 following confusion on the readiness of teachers and availability of resources.

“Since no research was done to justify the change from Outcomes Based Curriculum to CBC framework, education stakeholders should commission summative evaluation of the pilot phase of CBC to determine its effect on learners,” says the report dubbed Teachers Preparedness for the Implementation of the Competence Based Curriculum in Pre-Primary and Lower Primary Grades in Kenya.

“This means that CBC should not be implemented in Grade Four before the result of summative evaluation show that it is a better approach than Outcomes Based Approach,” adds the 98-page report.