Moi opposes scrapping of 8-4-4 education system

Retired President Daniel arap Moi gives a trophy to Mwangangi Andrew Mutinda, who was the best student at Sunshine Secondary School in 2015 KCSE exams. [Photo: Edward Kiplimo/Standard]

Retired President Daniel arap Moi has opposed the scrapping of the 8-4-4 education system.

The retired President noted that the proposed structure would be a heavy burden to the taxpayer and difficult to implement.

Moi challenged the Government to explain if it had enough funds to successfully execute the switch-over.

He said it was improper to scrap the decades-old 8-4-4 system and hastily replace it without explaining to Kenyans the full implications of such a radical move.

"I'm noticing a panic mode and haste to introduce a new system without regard to the financial element of the move... I would like the experts to calculate the cost and the financier to declare that he has enough funds to carry it to success. With the huge financial implications, the Government should not rush the system. Given that the system is mired in corruption and the cost of buildings and the equipment, I doubt if such goals can be achieved within the stipulated period," Moi said.

Under the proposed 2-6-3-3-3 system, learners will take two years in pre-primary, six years in primary level, three years in junior secondary, three years in senior level and three years at university.

Plans are already underway to roll out the structure to replace the 8-4-4 system, which has been termed irrelevant and a burden to students, teachers and parents.

But according to Moi, the 8-4-4 system is responsible for producing the current generation of leaders and those criticising it are "missing the bigger picture".

He scoffed at the view that the current system is unfair to academically weak students, and likened attempts to discard it to a coach who disadvantages the best athletes in a competitive race.

"The students brought up under 8-4-4 are excelling. Who is that telling us that we got it wrong? The success of our students is an affirmation that 8-4-4 has worked well... the new system should aim to start from where 8-4-4- has reached. It should not reverse the clock and reconstruct history," said Moi.

The former President was speaking at Sunshine High School in Nairobi during a thanksgiving ceremony to celebrate the school's success in last year's Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination. The school emerged position 14 countrywide with most of the students scoring straight As.

Among those awarded was Liban Ahmed, a student who scored an A Grade despite battling a debilitating diabetic condition. The student, who wants to pursue Medicine, called on well-wishers and organisations to offer him a scholarship to enable him pursue his dream.

Moi added: "It is proposed that under the new system, there will be 10 per cent transition from primary to secondary school. How will that feat be achieved when it is proposed that each primary school will be transformed into a secondary school," the former President wondered.

"I know that to achieve certain goals, sacrifices have to be made, but I also know that noble causes have been sabotaged by lack of foresight," he said.

The thanksgiving ceremony was attended by thousands of parents, teachers and well-wishers.