Concern Regarding CBC.
Why I think CBC in Kenya is Failing Our Children/Future Generation
As a huge critic of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya, I believe it has serious flaws that hinder the quality of education. Here are my main concerns:
- Few Teaching Personnel – The system demands more from teachers, yet there aren’t enough trained educators to handle the workload effectively. This leads to poor implementation and burnout. Having trained to be a teacher myself and worked in the school environment a few years ago, it was quite glaring how bad the teacher-learner ratio was — which must have gotten worse by now. JSS is an absolute crime scene right now, with some schools having one teacher teaching a whole class all subjects!
- New and Rushed Reading Material – Many textbooks and resources were introduced hastily, often containing errors and inconsistencies. There wasn’t enough time for thorough vetting. As I am sure most of you have seen on socials, some textbooks seem truly mediocre. I wonder what is going on at KICD!
- Lack of Clear Ranking System – The CBC discourages competition by removing clear ranking metrics, making it difficult to assess individual student performance and progress effectively. I believe learners should be encouraged to strive for improvement both in and out of class. Granted the previous 8-4-4 curriculum inculcated a spirit of cheating to excel in some learners, it still was a good barometer to identify weaknesses and strengths for both student, teacher, and parents. Hii system ya meeting expectations, exceeding expectations naona ni store ya jaba.
- Flawed Language Learning – Basic language fundamentals like the alphabet have been altered, making it harder for children to grasp foundational literacy skills. I do not agree with the way the alphabet is being taught in pre-primary school. My nieces and nephews wananipea taabu sana tukifanya homework juu they learn sounds rather than letters. It does not matter how you pronounce words, learn how to construct/spell words first then your pronunciation will catch up as you grow. For teachers of English in the sub, kindly comment on how this is affecting the older learners in JSS.
- Unequipped Public Schools – STEM is a major pillar of CBC, yet most public schools lack basic science and computer labs. How are students supposed to gain practical skills without proper facilities?
CBC was meant to revolutionize education, but instead, it has created confusion and inequality IMO. What do you think? Let's have a constructive discussion.