Education is too critical to be left to vested interests

Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion is not promising us a happy New Year. The union leaders are themselves unhappy with several work issues and have promised to keep all public primary schools shut in January unless and until their grievances are addressed. Whereas the current challenge seems to focus on delocalisation of teachers and head teachers, trouble has been brewing in this crucial sector for a while now.

Only a few days ago, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed announced the postponement of the implementation of the new 2-6-3-3-3 system which was to start in January 2019. Sadly, this was in an apparent contradiction to the Principal Secretary, Belio Kipsang, who only a week earlier had exuded great confidence in their readiness to roll out the new curriculum. The consequence is that pupils who have been piloting the programme now have to readjust to the old 8-4-4 system.