•ODM MP says haphazard policy change is dangerous for the stability of the education sector.
•Wandayi is also opposed to the practice in CBC where parents are burdened with assignments.
Image: FILE
Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi has criticised President William Ruto's administration for “bringing confusion to the education sector” through the new Competence-Based Curriculum policies.
The Ugunja lawmaker in a statement on Monday said they foresee trouble ahead with the rushed reversal of some policies by the former administration.
He said it was unfortunate the Kenya Kwanza team was “hellbent on clawing back the gains made in the education sector” by the previous administration – which Ruto was part of.
Wandayi said that the task force formed by the President to review the CBC policies has not adequately addressed gaps in the system.
He cited imminent challenges with the 100 per cent transition to junior high school, the capacity of facilitators, equality, and handling teachers’ workload.
"The UDA government must, therefore, cease experimenting with the children of the poor and rise to the occasion and give clear guidelines and long-term solutions for the implementation of CBC."
On Junior High, Wandayi said the Ruto administration has not mentioned when the infrastructure that is needed to accommodate the learners transiting to the new level would be ready.
“What has been suggested is to retain Grade 7 learners (no longer being referred to as Junior High School) in primary schools is more of a band-aid intervention, with no long-term solution in sight,” he said.
The Minority Leader said the schools are inadequately prepared to house the learners saying the time and cost aspect is not possible with the pace at which funds – such as CDF, are allocated.
Wandayi also held that teachers who are expected to handle the junior high learners have not been retrained – whether they will be drawn from primary or secondary schools.
“To this extent, we expect that the government embark on a serious training program of identifying and equipping enough facilitators with quality skills so that our learners enjoy not only their right to education but also to acquire quality education,” he said.
On equality, the Azimio lawmaker said there were hidden costs in CBC programmes which disadvantage children from poor backgrounds.
“The task force must in its final report show how that gap has been bridged so that the children of the poor enjoy the same rights as the children of the rich,” the MP said.
Wandayi is also opposed to the practice in CBC where parents check assignments with their children, further citing that the learners are burdened with a lot of work.
He said it was not acceptable that parents have had to carry out the learners’ assignments, adding that the idea which was intended to build the parent-child relationship, is causing strife.
The MP said it was not right that learners are assessed based on the competency of the parents or guardians and not themselves.
“This would be a poor reflection in the assessment of the learners. We would wish to see the learning and assignments revert to the classrooms with peers in group work under the keen guidance and supervision of the facilitators and parents who are not equipped to train learners on the curriculum be left with the role of parenting and breadwinning,” he said.
The government has given its preliminary positions on matters CBC among the introduction of a new system where primary learners vacated at Grade 9.