Parents urged to embrace CBC, dismiss claims that it’s expensive

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development official John Kimotho has defended the Competency-Based Curriculum saying it is cost-effective and should be embraced by all.

Kimotho dismissed the misplace and misguided claims that CBC was expensive to implement saying it was the easiest system to run.

He heads the KICD education media directorate. 

Kimotho said CBC was timely and will spur socio-economic development in Kenya to make the learners agents of production.

The official spoke on Saturday when he accompanied KICD head of finance department Solomon Kathuo for a traditional ceremony at Katuuni village, Mwingi North in Kitui.

He said it would be hard for Kenya to become an industrialized economy unless Kenyans fully embraced CBC and the knowledge acquired made a factor of productivity to bring about social-economic development.

“CBC is the easiest education system to implement because schools are there and curriculum support materials such as books are already provided,” Kimotho said.

He said suggested practical learning experiences which people take to be costly, are meant to be contextualized to any community set-up and environment.

“Cost on parents is not difficult. Specific learning institutions should have learning experiences that are contextualized to your areas and have activities that may be carried out with available resources,” Kimotho said.

He said there was a need to improvise so that when learners in the city use materials from shops for modelling, those in the rural areas should look for clay and mud and the modelling learning experience will be the same.

The official said as CBC learners in the city use gas to cook those in the rural areas should use firewood and the ultimate goal will be the same.

“Therefore by contextualizing and using resources within specific catchment areas for the learning experience, we are not only making it easy for CBC but making our learners know how to solve problems, be creative and able to think about their future,”  Kimotho said.

“CBC was essentially transforming and bringing in competencies of critical thinking collaboration, imagination, innovation and problem-solving among learners.”

He said the problem-solving competency coupled with creativity would transform society for the better.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris