Magoha blasts Sossion for boycott training directive

Education CS George Magoha has hit out at Knut for opposing the new curriculum.

Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion last week urged teachers to boycott training for the curriculum, saying it violates the law.

"We will not waste time talking about things which are not important concerning the competency-based curriculum," Magoha said.

He said implementation of the curriculum has started and no one can reverse it.

Magoha spoke on Tuesday at Uhuru Gardens Primary School, Lang'ata, when he launched a four-day teachers' training workshop.

"The train left the station in January. In my life, I never have a reverse gear. There is no going back. And if we hear somebody saying that we have to go back, I do not know what we should do to that person” he said.

"The CBC in the first term has been successful to an extent that we ashamed a few prophets of doom who thought that we were set for failure."

Magoha said the government will have rolled out the curriculum to Fourth Grade by September.

Treasury has allocated Sh500 million for the training to prepare teachers to manage the new curriculum, which will replace the 8-4-4 system.

More than 91,000 teachers are expected to be trained this month. Other sessions will be in August and December.

Magoha said he would do what it takes to ensure full implementation of the curriculum.

The CS asked teachers to work as one and deliver as one.

He said with the new curriculum the standards of education in public and private schools will be at par.

The ministry rolled out the system nationwide in January for pre-unit and Grade 1-3 after a pilot in 33,000 private and public primary schools last year.

 A study conducted between January and March showed teachers were not sufficiently trained to teach the new curriculum.

Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya