Few months ago, the main talk on the media, both social and mainstream, was shifting to a new education system from the current 8-4-4 system. Kenyans did not shy away from discussing the matter in lengthy as we always do to any topic we consider pertinent. As I was looking at some of the comments on social media especially Twitter, I did notice one trend. People were mocking the system for equipping them with knowledge they do not consider “important”. One individual made a joke “how useful is the life stages of an insect important in my life?” Another commented “ever since I left school, I have not applied the trigonometric ratios learnt in Mathematics or types of rocks learnt in Geography.”
From the sentiments that were being aired by these individuals, I came to the conclusion, and correct me if I am wrong; people wanted the subjects revised and not the system. Why am I asserting this today and not at the height of that discussion few months ago? This is because, we Kenyans have a tendency of letting our feelings known about a particular issue but before finalizing on the way forward, we sweep it under the rug and move forward. We need to bring back the 8-4-4 system issue from under the rug and on the table.
First and foremost, we should understand that we are changing the system and not the subject content. Mathematics will and must remain Mathematics. Trigonometric ratios, Calculus, Algebra and very other topic have to be taught whether we find them useful in life or not. The same applies for Geography and every other subject. Not to sound snobbish but if we want knowledge we can use in our daily lives, let’s skip school and join polytechnics at least that way we can acquire technical skills we can use every day. At the end of the day, some of us will be very lucky to use each and every piece of knowledge we have learnt from every subject but the rest of us will have to put our faith in the system that one day an opportune moment will present itself to apply the knowledge learned.
Secondly, we are not just changing the system structure from 8-4-4 to say 7-3-2-3. We require a complete overhaul of the system to ensure that it is rigorous and will produce competitive graduates at the end of the day. Let the new system not be a competition to prove who can cram and store the most information for eight years and offload it in an examination held for three days-because basically that is what the 8-4-4 system is all about. Let’s make it about knowledge appreciation and not just cramming.
Lastly, let’s not forget our institutions of higher learning. As we get wary of how they increase in their numbers, let us also worry about the quality of education they are giving. When you ask anyone, they would tell you that they would prefer going to college than to a university. This is because university studies have been “diluted”. But then again what do you expect from a class of more than 1000 students. Lectures are not what they used to be but mere sessions of dictating notes. They no longer provoke thought in students.
I remember sitting for a Critical Thinking exam expecting to be asked “Is there God?” or something challenging but all they asked is “Name four philosophers you know and explain their paradigms” How critical is that? If I crammed that information I would have aced that paper. So when we are revising the education system let’s not forget these institutions and while we are at it, let’s borrow are a leaf from institutions such as Harvard and Oxford and maintain a competitive edge by making them nearly impossible to be admitted. They are learning institutions and not businesses for Pete’s sake.
