The Noisy and Messy Kenya’s Education Sector, More Sobriety Needed

The education sector in Kenya is going through a critical stage. A stage that will either break it or make it. A stage that determines the present and the future of this country.

The education sector is the engine of every developing country. Mess us with the education sector and you kill the whole system. In fact, all systems are anchored in the education sector.

In the past few months, Kenya’s education sector has been messy, noisy and there are all reasons to indicate that there will be casualties, in this case, pupils and students.

The Ministry of Education is rushing to implement the new curriculum which it insists it is tailored toward making the education sector in Kenya more practical and equip the learner with the much-needed skills.

The rollout of the new curriculum has faced numerous hurdles, with valid reasons from a number of stakeholders including the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT).

The National Assembly committee for education and taskforce, formed to look into the rollout of the much-publicized curriculum has poked holes in the whole process.

The then Cabinet Secretary for Education, Amina Mohammed had suspended the implementation of the curriculum, but pressure from State House is said to have forced her to make an about-turn a week later overturning the suspension.

When Professor George Magoha took over as the Cabinet Secretary for Education, there was hope that sanity would be restored in the seemingly shaky sector. But ever since the man took over, Kenyans have been treated with threats, theatrics, boasts, arrogance and the flexing of the muscles between the Ministry, KNUT and TSC.

Among the issues being raised by those opposed to the rollout of the curriculum include:

• Inadequately trained personnel to handle the new curriculum. Teachers have said that they are not prepared and that they have not been adequately trained to handle the curriculum. Truth is, you cannot train someone for a week and expect them to deliver on a curriculum that determines the future.
• Inadequate facilities including infrastructure to handle the new curriculum. Most schools in Kenya are in a dilapidated condition and structures are in a sorry state. Majority of public schools are not equipped to handle the new curriculum.
• There is no session paper. The rollout seems to be illegal in the absence of a session paper form parliament. The paper is supposed to be the guide on the rollout and the full implementation. It has to explain the present and the future.
• Controversy in books. The books that have been published in line with the new curriculum have been cited with glaring spelling mistakes. The Ministry seems to be rushing without putting quality in mind.

“I don’t play politics and I will crush anybody who will play politics with the new curriculum,” said the CS for Education, clearly referring to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT). He maintains that the rollout is unstoppable insisting that Grade 4 is set to be rolled out by 2020 with the roadmap being ready by September this year.

The push and pull among stakeholders are not helping anything. There is a need for dialogue, sober dialogue. Professor Magoha should stop threatening and dictating and sit down to listen to what others have to say. KNUT led by Sossion should stop shouting and protesting and sit down for a cool and reasonable conversation.