Kenya should think twice before discarding 8-4-4

Our vision in introducing the 8-4-4 system of education after thorough research and analysis was to produce from Kenyan classrooms, scholars that fit in the international academic arena.

The introduction followed the recommendations of Presidential Working Party chaired by Canadian scholar Colin Mackay that expanded the previous curriculum consisting of English, Mathematics, History and Civics, Geography and Science to include Art and Craft, Home Science, Kiswahili, Music and Religious Education.

This was expanded to expose learners to practical activities in preparation to self-employment and further expected to enhance cultural and attitudinal development as well as lay foundation to literacy, numeracy and social and natural sciences. And it has lived to its billing!

Over the years, I have been very keen in following how Kenyan students cope academically and professionally, both in the Kenyan job market and abroad and I am very happy that the products from the 8-4-4 school system are exemplary and can fit in any environment in America, Britain, Japan, Korea and other technological power-houses of the world.

Many of our Kenyan students have been admitted to leading universities in the world, where they have excelled and secured opportunities in exclusive international job markets and never have I heard of a story of shame from a child who cannot cope with education in the more advanced countries.

A good number of Kenyan Form Four leavers are admitted and continue to take up places in Ivy League institutions in America and other top universities in Great Britain every year and we have a very positive appraisal of their performance.

I know of our Kenyan students now working for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), Citibank, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Sony, The Silicon Valley among many other specialised organisations because they are qualified academically and can compete in the global arena.

These success stories of our students mentored in the 8-4-4 school system is an affirmation that the system of education has worked well and it continues to be one of the many success stories out of Kenya with an impact on the world.

If our students, products of 8-4-4 system are excelling in the cream of technological and banking organisations we know of in the modern world, who is this telling us that we got it wrong?

I am noticing anic and haste to introduce a new system of education without regard to the preparedness of the economy to shoulder the financial element of this task. Given the capacity of our governance system that is steeped in corruption and other limitations and the sheer cost of building new classrooms and equipping them, I doubt whether such goals could be attained within the stipulated period.

Similarly, it is proposed that there shall be a one hundred per cent transition from primary to secondary level. It beats my logic how such a feat will be attained when it means that every primary school in Kenya should transform into a secondary school.

With the financial burdens shouldered by the Kenyan people every day taken into account, I would like the experts behind these proposals to calculate the cost of this programme and the financier to declare that he has the funds to carry it to success otherwise, the government should not rush the country through a system that is bound to result in a scandal.

I do acknowledge that to attain noble goals certain sacrifices have to be made. But I also understand that noble causes have been sabotaged by lack of foresight and capacity to carry your theory to a logical conclusion. I think this is the horn of dilemma that Kenya finds itself in today.

I find it a fallacy that 8-4-4 is accused of being exam-oriented and that it cannot provide equality between the weaker and the brighter students. Such reasoning resembles a coach who slows down the best runners in order for the slower ones to catch up. Such a coach has no place in the race for life where excellence prevails over mediocrity.

Also, I have not known of any human or animal culture where strong and the weak are given equal recognition. We love all our children equally, but we recognise the ones with outstanding gifts in a special way.

This is what 8-4-4 system does and any negative comments about the system are exaggerations from individuals who have not given themselves the time to look at the bigger picture.

The proposed review of our education system should thus aim to start from where 8-4-4 has reached and not try to reverse the clock and try to reconstruct history.