Secondary school students in Nairobi when they reopened for the third term on August 25, 2025/COURTESYAs schools reopen for the third term, parents and guardians across the country are praising Competency-Based Education (CBE) as a major milestone in transforming Kenya’s education system for the better.
A majority of the parents and guardians we spoke to—randomly—shared their experiences with a mix of amusement and pride, narrating how their children now routinely challenge them with tough questions and display new skills at home.
Although still in its early stages, many parents say the new curriculum is already making a meaningful impact, turning learners into critical thinkers, problem solvers, and budding innovators.
Roselyn Wanjiku, a resident of Githurai in Nairobi, said the initial teething problems that came with transitioning from the 8-4-4 system are now behind them.
“When we were starting, there were a lot of difficulties because initially, the kids would come home with homework and we would be forced to buy many things and also look for them at short notice,” said Wanjiku.
“It was very challenging at the first time but as things progressed we realised that our children were learning a lot and gaining knowledge; they are very sharp in mind.”
Wanjiku’s Grade 4 daughter has become highly inquisitive and productive at home, often challenging her mother to keep up with her growing curiosity.
“She’ll tell me, ‘Mum, today I’m going to cook you eggs,’ and the next day she’s talking about baking a cake, complete with a list of ingredients. It’s incredible to watch,” Wanjiku shared with a smile.
She added that the system is nurturing talent early and equipping children with practical knowledge and skills that will benefit the country in the long run.
“So, going by the progress we have made so far in the CBE system, by the time we reach the top, our children will be very talented and they are going to change our country. I am very happy about that,” she added.
They ask a lot of questions and sometimes, as a parent, you just laugh and wonder how you missed such things, she stated.
“For example, there is a day she asked me why dogs don’t stay inside the house like we do? And, why are dogs locked inside tiny houses?"
She also asked me why cows stay outside even when it is raining yet when it rains we rush to our houses,” she said amid laughter.
So, they ask questions that keeps you wondering why they are asking and it is difficult to answer them so you just have to get an answer according to how you understand them, she pointed out.
“Sometimes, she even asks me where I went to school, especially when I am unable to give them the right answer. They are well taught and for my kid who is in Grade 4 I believe she is going to be even better as we progress.”
And, Beatrice Wamboi whose first child is in Grade 9, said that CBE has transformed the lives of their children, turning them into critical thinkers and responsible citizens.
“We are the founders of CBE, my kid is in Grade 9 and sometimes she asks me tough questions that leaves you wondering how you are going to answer them because they are very sharp in mind,” said Wamboi.
For his part, Koech David Chelule, a father of two kids in Grade 9 and Grade 3 hilariously narrated how his kid once asked him why a cow eats grass but the milk it produces is white.
“To me, Competence-Based Education is the best curriculum as per now that has come at the right and to the right group,” he said, adding: “Competence-Based Education is giving pupils a wider knowledge to the extent that when they come home they challenge us to think outside the box,” he said.
“The other day, my kid had been given an assignment to draw and paint a cow and while he was painting he asked me: why is it that cows eats grass but produce white milk?”
According to him, CBE is imparting kids with skills and a global view of the world noting that the new education system will go a long way in addressing unemployment in the country- by producing job creators and innovators.
