How Competent Is The Competency Based Curriculum In Kenya?

By Jude Thaddeus.

Photo Courtesy.

The last few days have seen the conversation about the Competency Based Curriculum resurface. Partly, due to a joke that pupils are now being asked to take one kilogram of meat each to school - for cooking practicals, which will be graded after teachers enjoy the sumptuous meals in their staff rooms. But more fundamentally, this conversation is resurfacing due to a reality that in three months time, there should be a transition for those who are in grade six, to the so called junior secondary schools — at a time when there is a new administration. With all indications that the outgoing one had not been quite prepared for this transition.

When this curriculum was introduced into the Kenyan education system, the Government at the time proposed that it wanted to address one shortcoming — FAILURE. That, after a student finishes at least form four, without necessarily having the grades to transition to University, the competency education should allow them to at least remain useful to society, and to themselves, without necessarily being seen as failures. This, at a time when ironically, the Country was witnessing mass failures in the National Examinations.

As the conversation progressed, the Government would propose that the CBC was not just going to address the issue of ‘academic failure’, but also, the issue of the ever rising unemployment crisis. That, CBC was to produce all round graduates who will not just wait to seek employment, but would be in a position to employ themselves. That, CBC was to be a more practical option than the eight-four-four system.

A few years down the line, and more or less three months into the first transition, the hour of reckoning has come.

First, whereas the promise was that at a tender age, instructors should be able to point out talents and interests among pupils, and help shape their future career choices — it is very difficult to point out whether there are any career options among the activities being conducted by pupils in Schools. If an entire class goes out for a cleaning expedition in a neighboring market, out of a class of about fifty pupils, what career options do the instructors have in mind (or in the syllabus), in categorizing these students? The one who is good at cleaning, which career suits them? What about the lazy cleaner, which career suits them?

And, how is this cleaning by CBC any different from the cleaning that was, and still is, being conducted in the eight-four-four classrooms?

Cleaning the market is not necessarily a mainstream skill set that leads to any particular career choices. These are activities that serve to strengthen soft skills such as discipline, diligence, team work, time management among many others that are vital to any living human being. With or without a career.

Same as cooking — and by extension, many of the activities that CBC pupils have been subjected to.

Other than the basic soft skill activities — that we all agree are vital to all humans, and were equally present in the eight-four-four curriculum — there is another aspect of CBC that has been amplified. And that aspect is, TALENT.

That, after school, talent will be the students’ savior at the job market.

Talent can be inborn. It can as well be learnt, trained, and perfected. And that talent, at whichever level, can be a hobby or a profession. And for it to become a profession, one needs more than just learning it, or possessing it.

A quick analysis of the talent industry in Kenya, from sports, music, technology, to even fine art - anyone, whether a Kenyan or a foreigner, will admit that our Country Kenya is full of talent. Some that were natured through the School system e.g Sports tournaments, to others that were natured outside the School system e.g in estate social halls, churches, etcetera. To some like tech that today can even be learnt independently online.

The challenges in talent have never been on the talent itself, rather, the problem has always been on the environment in which these talents operate in.

For instance, we have very many Kenyan youth who were really good at playing football. Some even played professionally. But, had to later on make a decision between playing football, or pursuing other economic activities. The fact that they at some point realized that playing football was not viable, they abandoned the venture. Because the reality is, no matter how talented you are in it, you need to feed, take care of family, access health, and live a life of dignity. All which requires one to be in an income generating activity. If that sporting talent does not guarantee the same — how then will these CBC students pursue sports after school?

A quick interview with a Kenyan music artist, whether mainstream or underground, you won’t fail to appreciate the pain talent is subjected to in this Country. The capital needed to remain afloat. And the uncertainties on whether one will make any returns or not. The number of years one will need to toil.

How different, will the CBC graduates who are talented in music be? After perfecting their talent in School, where will they practice and monetize their craft?

The point here is not that talent does not have returns. It does. Globally, talent has huge returns. And even here in Kenya, it does.

But that does not mean that we should be blind to structural failures that are not necessarily controlled by the school curriculum — Hoping that these structural failures will take care of themselves simply because we’ve changed the curriculum.

Today, many young women in Kenya are lining up seeking any available opportunity to travel to the Middle East and earn a living as domestic workers. Including even University graduates. These young women can cook. They can clean. Better than the CBC pupils in primary. How comes they have not been able to employ themselves? Yet CBC is promising to create self employment out of cooking and cleaning?

Careers for the future.

The reality is that, economies have to be anchored on knowledge. Knowledge that stem out of research. And thus, education has to be knowledge based. Talents, gifts, professions are all auxiliaries.

Your profession should be a by-product of your education. And not necessarily the main product. The main product of education is a Country’s vision, envisioned by the people.

Today, the World is grappling with a myriad of challenges. Climate change, diseases, poverty, inequity, cyber security among others.

What is your Country’s vision in the next 10 years, 20, 50, 100?

Envisioning this vision will in turn enable the creation of opportunities — and by extension employment.

Young people in Kenya are today embracing technology. And in turn, being part of providing solutions to some of the above mentioned challenges.

If young people are able to stay abreast technologically, can they in the process use that very same technology to provide solutions to agriculture? Agriculture being the backbone of our Continent! Can they provide solutions to climate change? Diseases? Cyber security? Electronic elections? And thus democracy and Governance?

The above should form the backbone of education. And talents, skills, and professions will come out as by-products of the same.

But more importantly, it is for the Government to create an environment that accommodates all. Those good in math, languages, technical subjects — and even those passionate about cooking and cleaning. Without necessarily subjecting pupils to an education that simply promises self employment — minus envisioning a collective vision for the Country. Because without the vision, whatever curriculum in place would just be a wild goose chase.

And the outcome of CBC would not be any different from eight-four-four.

Increasing population amidst reducing opportunities due to shrinking or stagnating economies, pandemic shocks etcetera. And after some years, those in power will again be calling for a change in curriculum - so as to sweep their incompetence under the carpet.

In conclusion, there wasn’t really any urgency in a change in curriculum in the first place. Worse, if the promises given were, and still are, not well thought out. Promising self employment, simply because the Government has failed to generate employment, is passing the blame to innocent students. And causing a distraction from the unemployment crisis that is already a reality.

Secondly, we will be making a joke of ourselves as a Country if we subject students to years of an education process that is visionless. Knowing very well that we will not be there when the house of cards will start to cramble.

Lastly, we must tread carefully with a system that seems hell bent to just produce handymen (watu wa mkono), for capital - in the name of self employment skills.

What we need is knowledge, research, capital for industries, and robust economic transformation that creates opportunities for all.

About the Author:

Jude Thaddeus is an Entrepreneur, a Sociopolitical Commentator / Strategist, Author, and Team Lead @ Brave Politics.