• The 'Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2019' is currently in Parliament.
• It is a blueprint that will anchor the implementation of the new curriculum.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has urged Parliament to adopt a Sessional Paper on education reforms currently before the House.
Magoha said the adoption of the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2109 on Reforming Education and Training in Kenya will ensure a new instructional paradigm in the education system.
“If the Sessional Paper is adopted and well implemented, the initiatives will reduce school dropout rates, stop class repetition and check learner absenteeism to ensure universal access and completion of basic education,” the CS said.
The CS vowed that the implementation of the new curriculum must go on despite opposition from some quarters.
He spoke at Nakuru High School on Monday during the national launch of the countrywide dialogue sessions on curriculum reforms.
The dialogue sessions precede a national reforms conference scheduled for August 16.
Magoha said that the adoption of the sessional paper will also improve the quality of education that still suffers from various setbacks.
According to a national assessment by the Kenya National Examination Council in 2018, both shortfalls by teachers and students have contributed to the poor quality of education.
Learner-attributed factors include overage, absenteeism, class repetition, drop out, indiscipline and a lack of meals.
Teacher-attributed factors include excessive testing, reliance on commercial exams, low integration of ICT, and absenteeism.
Almost all learners were not able to translate information presented in a sentence to a simple arithmetic operation.
Magoha said that the new curriculum seeks to check the faults in the current system and address them.
"The county dialogues will help us incorporate whatever views that will be brought forth and everyone is invited," Magoha said.
In Nyanza, the sessions were led by Higher Education PS Colleta Suda and Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Education.
In Western, the sessions were led by Post Training and Skills PS Alfred Cheruyiot.
Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang led sessions in Central region while the Eastern region dialogue forum was presided over by Vocational and Technical Training PS Kevit Desai.
Elyas Abdi, the Ministry of Education Director General led the sessions in North Eastern.
Teachers Service Commission CEO Nancy Macharia was in Mombasa’s Shimo la Tewa High School for the coast dialogues.
(edited by O. Owino)