Opinion: Emphasis on books is our curriculum’s biggest fault

In the early 1990s, two things changed Kenya completely. One was the introduction of multi-partism. Kanu’s political dominance came to an end but its echoes still reverberate.

The political space was liberalised. Less noticeable was the liberalisation of the economy. The price controls ended and so did the annual hoarding before the budget speech.

Prices of most commodities went up, from sugar to cooking oil but the shortage ended. The only people who seem not to have leant that simple lesson are the politicians who came up with the interest rates cap rule.

But there is an area that was never liberalised, our education content, its development, examination and certification.

Many will argue that we have lots of private schools, from kindergarten to university. But where it really matters, there is little liberalisation; it is still the monopoly of the government. Who decides what our kids study? Who certifies what they have studied? It is the national government.

The need for national unity and economies of scale could be good reasons why the curriculum is probably centralised. Imagine every county giving its own exam. That would be too expensive and recognition would be an issue. Some countries like the US have no national exams, but private sector has filled the void with scholastic aptitude test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT)

Let’s go back to the content again. Currently, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) develops the curriculum which is cascaded to schools. Few bother with the details of what the kids actually study except through textbooks or when they ask you questions. Or when employers complain about the caliber of graduates getting into the market.

One assumption made by the public is that KICD and the government know what is best for our kids. No wonder our curriculum and its contents rarely make the headlines like party nominations or presidential elections. After the exam results, we are back to the old ways.

Yet, successful families long realised that schooling, particularly the school itself makes a big difference. An undergraduate from Harvard might be worth more than a PhD from other universities. Why does it matter?

The content in terms of knowledge, attitudes and skills makes all the difference. They know something else we take for granted; the kids experience which follows him or her throughout life. Schools form attitudes that shape your life from work, to relationships, or even reaching our potential in life.

Some of the content can’t be put into books; a Harvard or Oxford experience can’t be shared, it’s yours alone. Who did you interact with? From where? Did they challenge your thinking or helped reinforce the stereotypes?

Imagine the impact of an Indian in class while the topic is “dowry payment”. The dynamics will change completely once he reports that women pay the dowry.

The biggest shortcoming of our curriculum is that there is too much emphasis on book content, not other experiences. A good example; though we learnt about Rhine River 30 years ago, I just saw it last year. School kids learn that Sarit Centre is a hypermarket, Seen them there? Most universities are adding a semester abroad to enrich students’ experience.

The other problem is curriculum development and its assessment are monopolised hence no incentive to change.

Suppose our kids had a choice between KNEC and two or three examining bodies?

Competition leads to innovation. With kids getting laptops, when will KCPE and KCSE be examined online without worrying about leakages? ACT, SAT and GMAT are all online.

Without competition, ideas take longer to get into classroom. I was surprised to Miss Protestant work ethics in CRE curriculum. Can I find derivatives in KCSE syllabus?

Interestingly, political issues get into syllabus very quickly- the 2010 Constitution is already there. What of innovations in science and technology? Do we have nanotechnology in physics curriculum?

Would I find touch screen technology mentioned in high school science? Is Mpesa there? This lag perhaps explains why our kids find science boring. Why are kids taught about early man (Zinjanthropus, Ramapithecus and other pithecus and cines), yet we do not know enough about modern man?

There is an assumption that the curriculum fits the needs of all kids. The intellectually gifted and disadvantaged go through the same curriculum. When shall we start exploiting the creative genius of our kids?

We have special schools for the deaf and the physically handicapped; why don’t we have schools for the gifted, highly intelligent kids? In the US, gifted kids take university courses while in high school! What of the gifted in extracurricular activities? Why can’t one take a BSc in Golf or Athletics?

Needless to say, there is too much compartmentalisation in our curriculum delivery.

How much interaction is there between primary, secondary and universities beyond drama and music festivals? How much interaction is there between UoN and State House Girls School which they share fences?

What of Mang’u High School and Kuraiha Primary School? And when will Science Congress winners start going to State House?

We often forget that informal curriculum has more effect, sometimes more than the formal curriculum. Students learn from their peers, parents, media and the past.

I mourn the death of very rich traditional riddles and proverbs. How many local proverbs can your kid quote, if he or she talks mother tongue?

Could the content of curriculum be driving affluent parents out of 8-4-4 into IBE, IGCSE, GCE etc?

Truthfully, the majority of Kenyans will not shift to these exotic systems but they deserve a content that give them globally acceptable knowledge, skills, and attitudes to take them through life.

The teething problem with our 2010 Constitution is that we borrowed heavily from other countries without considering our socio-economic context. Are we doing the same with our curriculum review? Remember the Mackay report that gave us 8-4-4 system? What is this ‘tusome project’?

By the way, how did Indians come to dominate computer science in the world? Can we borrow a leaf? The curriculum, particularly its contents, build great nations by inspiring the younger generation and impacting them with the right skills, knowledge, experiences and attitudes. Every great economy rests on the pedestals of a great curriculum. Kenya can’t be an exception.