Teachers' unions, school heads fight for 8-4-4 system

By Athman Amran

The National Conference on Education turned into forum to fight against the proposed replacement of 8-4-4 system of education with a four-tier academic scheme that would cost Sh340 billion to implement.

Stakeholders in the education sector rejected proposal by the Government to replace the learning structure introduced by retired President Moi in 1985, with 2-6-6-3 regime.

Moi replaced the previous 7-4-2-3 system of education with eight years of primary, four years of secondary, and four years of university education.

In the proposed academic programme pupils will spend two years in Early Childhood Development Education, six years in primary, another six years in secondary, and minimum of three years at the university.

Secondary education will be divided into junior and senior levels in the new proposal.

Leading the resistance were the influential Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), and Kenya Secondary Schools Head Teachers Association (KSSHA).

The Government depends on these interest groups to run the education sector.

The groups participating at the conference in Nairobi argued the Government should instead train and employ more teachers and build infrastructure to accommodate pupils after Standard Eight.

Through voting by acclamation, the stakeholders pushed the Government to first strengthen the current education system and incorporate Information Communication Technology, environmental, ethics, adult, and special education in the curriculum.

They were discussing the report of the task force on the re-alignment of the education section to the new Constitution, which had proposed major changes to the education system.

Shortage of teachers