KUPPET: What state should change for CBC to succeed

Violinist Gariella Shiniz during the NIE launch at St. Lucie Kiriri Girls.[File, Standard]

The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has a list of issues the state should adjust, so as to ensure the Competence-based Curriculum (CBC) is successful.

The Union has called on the government to increase education funding for the success of the CBC.

In a memorandum to the presidential working party on education reforms, KUPPET wants the state to provide learning materials, and employ more teachers.

"The government should provide learning resources so that there is equity and equality across all counties. More teachers are to be employed so that CBC has adequate human resources. Working Party can recommend the right mix of budget to support education," KUPPET's memorandum reads in part.

The post-primary teachers have also raised issues with the transition from primary school to junior secondary school.

"Are there categories for institutions when joining junior secondary schools?" they posed a question.

In return they want Junior secondary schools to be in secondary schools with enough teachers and infrastructure to promote education equity across the country.

"Junior secondary schools should be domiciled in secondary schools, which have the human resources for training at that level,"

According to KUPPET, the main challenges facing the new curriculum are the high cost of learning materials, high parental engagement, and low teacher preparedness for the new curriculum.

"In our view, the outcry reflects the public's concern over very low education financing, which has resulted in unequal access to education across social strata and widening gaps in the quality of education offered at schools of different categories," the teachers' union.

Towards the end of September, President William Ruto appointed a 42-member task force to evaluate the country's Education system and come up with recommendations.

Key among the issues to be looked at was an appropriate structure to implement the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

The Working Party on Education Reform is to work for a six-month period, are required to submit to the president a progress report every two months from the date of their appointment.

The team, which is chaired by Prof. Raphael Munavu, comprises among others globally celebrated Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi, Mutheu Kasanga, who was part of the CBC task force as well as Prof Collins Odete among others.