A section of Education stakeholders in Uasin Gishu County have called for the halting of the CBC implementation.
The stakeholders who presented their views during the presidential education reforms taskforce at the Uasin Gishu High School in Eldoret said the new system was hurriedly rollout.
Jacob Arusei, the Eldoret West KNUT Secretary said CBC never went through all the curriculum development stages.
“Curriculum development has 9 stages, and this CBC did not go through all of them. For example there was no public participation – it is being done now – when the system has already been rollout,” Arusei said.
“As teachers of KNUT, we say CBC was hurried. Let it start at stage one of curriculum development until it reaches implementation stage,” he added.
The KNUT official further pointed out that CBC was piloted for barely a year, when on a normal curriculum development process, it could take up to three years.
“Kenya is not prepared for CBC – we must go back and ensure teachers are trained and content well prepared,” he said.
Junior secondary schools
On the question of whether the junior secondary learners should remain and primary school or proceed to secondary school, KNUT said grade 7 learners are too young to be in secondary schools.
They are proposing that Grade 7, 8 and 9 learners remain in primary school.
However, they want diploma and degree teachers to be the nes handling them.
Currently, the government has been preparing grade 7 learners to be both at primary and secondary schools.
University Academic Staff Union (UASU), University of Eldoret branch Secretary General Phillip Chebunet shared similar sentiments that CBC was hurriedly rollout out.
“This was a confused system that was implemented in a rush. It is like constructing a plane when it is already in the air,” Chebunet said.
Josphat Ayora, a parent from Turbo Sub County told the taskforce that CBC is a good system but it came at a bad time.
Parents ambushed
Ayora argues that the government should have taken its time in the rollout, and allow parents to adjust.
“It is like the system ambushed parents. It has been heavy on us,” he said.
“When the government says it will take the grade 7 learners to secondary, where will they study from. A 9-year-old learner, what will he/she be doing in secondary, who will take care of them,” asked Ayora.
The taskforce completed physical collection of views from the public o Friday.
However, according to Prof Some, a member of the taskforce, they will still allow online submissions until the end of the month. Thereafter, they retreat to draft a report.
The government is depending on the report to give directions on the fate of CBC implementation.
“We will not change even a comma of the report,” Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said on Friday.
