State upbeat learning system will create jobs

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed. [Photo, Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has said the new curriculum will equip learners with skills to end joblessness.

Amina urged Kenyans to embrace the competency-based curriculum currently being rolled out in schools, saying it will emphasise on skills development.

The new curriculum is being rolled out in pre-primary I and II and in Grade 1-3.

Amina said an outdated curricula and lack of employable skills by many school leavers has been one of the major causes of unemployment.

“At present, one million young Kenyans enter the labour market every year. This means that we need to generate one million jobs annually for the next 10 years to meet the growing demand,” said Amina.

She said about 34 per cent of the Kenyan population is either unemployed or under-employed, causing social disquiet, increased crime and insecurity.

“It is further estimated that of these new entrants into the job market, only one in five is likely to find a job in the formal sector,” said Amina.

Kenya is witnessing a massive youth bulge, she said, with huge projections indicating that by 2030, the population will reach 65 million and up to 85 million in 2050.

“A majority of this population will be young people looking to engage in meaningful and dignified jobs,” said Amina. 

Amina defended the national roll-out, saying that the curriculum designs for learners with special needs were also adopted.

Last week, Amina dispatched 21,987 Early Grade Mathematics learners’ books and teachers’ guides adapted for learners with special needs in public primary schools.

The books will cater for learners with hearing impairment, total blindness – books transcribed to braille -- physical impairment and those with low vision.

Amina said the books are adapted for Grade 1 and 2 and are fully compliant with the competency-based curriculum. The books will be distributed to public primary schools for learners with special needs in the country.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has acknowledged that based on previous studies, the current curriculum has been widely criticised for failing to recognise and nurture the talents and interests of learners early enough.

The Summative Evaluation of the Curriculum (KIE, 2009) indicated that the 8-4-4-curriculum content and its implementation was more academic and examination-oriented.

KICD Director Jwan Julius said the current curriculum makes little provision for the recognition of the learners’ potential, gifts and talents due to too much focus on examination.

The new education system guarantees elimination of individualised national examinations and introduces Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs).

“The competencies that learners will acquire in schools will shape their thinking towards employment and job creation,” said Jwan

Amina asked education stakeholders to support the course, saying the future of children is guaranteed under the new curriculum.

The implementation schedule for the CBC shows that there will be a yearly roll out of Grade 4-12, with the first cohort of the new curriculum set to join grade 7 in 2023.

And in 2026, the first cohort will join grade 10 and will be segregated according to three pathways.

Formative assessments will be conducted in grades three and six, with summative examinations set for grade nine and 12.

The last 8-4-4 KCSE examinations shall be done in 2027.

“In 2028, the first cohort of the new curriculum completes basic education at grade 12 and proceeds to tertiary education,” said Amina.