Confusion on CBE tickles at drama festival

NYS students perform a cultural dance during a past festival's gala. [File, Standard]

Emerging challenges surrounding the new grading system under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) were brought to the fore as this year’s Kenya National Drama and Film Festival opened in Nyeri.

Learners used theatre to highlight the confusion parents face when interpreting results from the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA).

Through powerful performances, students are raising concerns about the unfamiliar grading categories — EE (Exceeding Expectations), ME (Meeting Expectations) and AE (Approaching Expectations) — which have replaced the traditional marks and grades used in the 8-4-4 system.

A sign language play by Akoreet Primary School from Western Kenya shows parents with two learners in Grade 9. One gets EE, another gets AE. In one case, a parent faints thinking the child had failed the examinations because of the “E” score. 

Ministry of Education Director General Elyas Abdi said the performance reflects the real challenges as parents struggle to understand the new system.

“We need to do a lot of parental sensitisation. That shows the magnitude and reality of the matter,” said Dr Abdi.

Under the CBE framework, assessments focus on measuring competencies rather than ranking learners through marks and grades. The system categorises performance based on whether learners exceed, meet or are approaching expected learning outcomes.

Many parents were accustomed to numerical scores and letter grades.

The 64th edition of the festivals is being held under the theme “Bold storytellers, digital stages: driving Kenya’s development through theatre and film”.

The theme emphasises the integration of digital innovation, artificial intelligence and creative technology in storytelling while encouraging learners to produce socially conscious and culturally grounded narratives.

Co-curricular activities

In modern dances, Precious Blood Riruta and St Mary’s Kibabii emphasised that co-curricular activities remain an integral part of the education system regardless of the academic pathway learners pursue.

The learners condemned school heads who deny them a chance to take part in the festivals because of taking a different pathway.

“We are denied opportunities because we take STEM, or we are candidates. We are going to lower the school’s mean grade,” said learners in the narrative.

Other creative productions by the Thika School for the Visually Impaired also highlighted the transformative role of arts in education.

The ministry said the festival is more than just an artistic competition but a critical platform for nurturing talent and supporting the broader goals of the CBE.

“The festival is more than a celebration of artistic talent. It is a manifestation of our national commitment to nurturing creativity, fostering critical thinking and cultivating the holistic development of our learners,” said Abdi.

According to him, the shift toward competency-based learning seeks to strengthen 21st-century soft skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving.

“Drama naturally incorporates communication, collaboration among characters, creativity and the ability to solve problems,” he added.

Abdi noted that the new system has introduced examinable subjects, further expanding opportunities for learners.

“All our learners are equally important. It is not just about science, English or Kiswahili. Even students taking STEM pathways should be allowed to participate in sports, drama and music,” he said.

“Physical education is now part of the learning areas and students taking STEM are not barred from playing football or performing on stage.”

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong’ondo said drama plays a powerful role “in exercising the non-formal curriculum while complementing what we do in the formal curriculum.”

“Some of them are participating in theatre and film not just as co-curricular activities but as learning areas where they will be assessed and build their portfolios,” said Prof Ong’ondo.

Festival chairman Prof CJ Odhiambo said the event also includes professional master classes for teachers and students conducted by industry practitioners.