• Private schools support implementation.
• Law requires an exercise of such magnitude to have guidelines and a gazetted commission to guide the entire process, says Sossion
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Teachers in Siaya and Kisumu have opposed the implementation of the new curriculum.
Education CS George Magoha on Tuesday said the implementation will not be reversed. The ministry rolled out the system nationwide in January from pre-unit to Grade Three. It piloted it in 33,000 private and public primary schools last year.
Kenya National Union of Teachers Siaya executive secretary Gilbert Ndolo on Tuesday cautioned the government against implementing the competency-based curriculum before involving all stakeholders.
The union has advised its members not to participate in training for the curriculum, which started yesterday.
“We will go round the county and ensure no teacher takes part in the launch. Things should be done correctly in this country,” Ndolo said.
He said they cannot allow "some cartels" to experiment with the future of children. The proposed curriculum has failed in other parts of the world and in Kenya stakeholders were not fully involved before it took shape, Ndolo said.
Nyando Knut executive secretary Onyango Kananga supported the curriculum, but opposed the manner in which the government is rolling it out.
“We fully support the curriculum except for the manner of delivery. It's very good but general preparedness of teachers, the public and even the government is not sufficient,” he said.
The Education ministry seeks to train more than 91,000 teachers in readiness for the full rollout. But Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion said the exercise is against the law and guidelines. He directed teachers to boycott training. Sossion said the CBC is an ill-prepared learning system that should not be accepted.
The union’s National Executive Council members and executive secretaries from 110 branches plan to boycott the training, which has been set for the holidays and weekends. They said it is wrong for teachers to train during holidays and weekends.
Sossion argued that their insurance cover caters for only school activities on weekdays between 8.30am and 4pm. The law requires an exercise of such magnitude to have guidelines and a gazetted commission to guide the entire process, he said.
The unionist said due process of reforming the curriculum was never followed to the letter, making the entire exercise illegal.
Last month, Knut released an internal audit report that showed most schools were not fully prepared to handle the 2-6-3-3-3 curriculum.
The Knut report cited staff shortage, and lack of teaching and learning materials, and standard infrastructure. The survey conducted between January and March revealed that teachers had not been sufficiently trained.
Private schools have, however, supported the implementation. Kenya Private Schools Association national secretary Charles Ochome on Tuesday said it is good for the future of the country.
Ochome is the director of Kisumu’s Golden Elite School. He said the new curriculum is technology-based and must be supported.
“We are not opposing it or our teachers undergoing training,” he told the Star on the phone.