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CBC public hearings begin across the country
Cabinet secretary for Education Julius Ogamba cuts a ribbon to officially open JSS classrooms at Kakamega Primary School on December 4, 2024.
The government has organised the first dialogues on education quality and learning outcomes since the introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) nine years ago.
According to the Ministry of Education, the dialogues are designed to engage stakeholders in discussions on the Competency-Based Education (CBE) journey, including its progress, achievements and opportunities.
This comes as preparations for the first-ever end-of-junior school assessment under the CBC have begun with the registration of learners who will take the assessment at the end of the year.
The pioneering cohort of the CBC, who are currently in Grade 9 in Junior School, will sit their assessment in November to move on to Senior School next year.
The more than 1.2 million learners in Grade 9 will be promoted to Senior School based on their career choices, abilities and interests.
Kenya has introduced three pathways in Senior Schools: Social Sciences; Arts and Sports; and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The National Parents Association said the dialogue was crucial in helping parents understand CBE.
“This dialogue has come at an opportune time to help the many parents who are not informed on what CBC is. We should be creating awareness through schools,” said NPA chairman Mr Silas Obuhatsa.
The dialogues will take place in every county from next week March 9 to March 15, 2025.
The national launch takes place on Friday in Machakos County.
“The State Department for Basic Education is organising county-based dialogues on education quality and learning outcomes in CBE. These dialogues are designed to engage stakeholders in discussions about the CВЕ journey, including its progress, achievements, and opportunities,” reads a report from the Ministry of Education.
The dialogues will take place in all 47 counties and will be led by education officers from the Ministry of Education, Kenya National Examination Council (Knec), Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
The dialogue will focus on updating stakeholders on the status of CBE implementation, providing a platform for stakeholder participation in the validation of the Senior School Guidelines, assessing stakeholders on teacher recruitment and capacity building, and receiving feedback from stakeholders on the implementation of CBE.
“The expected outcomes include raising awareness among stakeholders regarding the current status and future of CBE,” read a statement from the Education ministry.
The meeting is also expected to validate the Senior School Guidelines through public participation, receive feedback from stakeholders on the implementation of CBE, and strengthen collaboration among education stakeholders to promote the success of CBE.