Welcome back into circulation upon completion of the 2022 National KESSHA conference that took place in Mombasa, during the first working week of April 2022. This must have been quite a relief for all secondary school principals including 80% of the followers of this Forum, who are in that category.
Actually, normalizing after a break of 2 years occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic is not a mean achievement. Personally, I was expecting to attend and utilize an opportunity of addressing the conference as was the case in 2017, as well as 2018. It was not possible to appear in 2019 for reasons beyond my control.
Likewise, it became impossible to be in Mombasa in 2022 as well. Nevertheless, had I managed this time, what issues could I have addressed? In 2017 and 2018, I only introduced the concept titled Career Dynamics in the 21st Century and explained how I was inspired to write the same, which had been approved the KICD and categorized under EMERGING ISSUES, in the Orange Book.
In 2022, it could have been difficult just introducing the concept, whereas the issues addressed are now a reality in the entire education system. As such, my attention could have been largely around the occurrences since writing the concept and probably the most critical emerging issues that may be of concern to every educationist.
The very first issue worth highlighting is how I presented a copy of the concept to the then Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary in March 2016, and later copies to those working under him. It immediately became easy to understand how the education system could forthwith produce quality graduates.
The second issue is how the Career Dynamics in the 21st Century concept was used for the architecture of the Competency Based Curriculum – CBC. Third Is how it became imperative to fix the issue of exam leakages and cheating. By 2015, Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination – KCSE was producing 10,000 straight A’s, which largely resulted from Exam leakages and cheating.
Concerted efforts of addressing the exam cheating and leakages led to only 241 genuine A’s in 2016, 242 in 2017, 315 in 2018, 627 in 2019 and 893 in 2020. Let us see how the situation will be in 2021 KCSE Exams. Third, the reduced A’s equally led to reduced B’s as well as C+, the minimum university entry grade. That naturally led to reduced regular program university entrants in public universities.
Fourth, the reduced students qualifying to join university led to a previously unforseen crises. Module 2 or parallel degree programs that used to be cash cows for public universities started becoming extinct. Fifth, the collapse of parallel degree programs led to massive financial crises in universities. This situation has started leading to closure of some public universities. Those operating normally have closed some of their campasses and the process is still ongoing.
Sixth, all Kenyan universities were ordered to initiate career Services departments, by the ministry of education. The same were meant to guide students as they progressed through their empowerment process.
Those in this Forum who have internalized the content in career Dynamics in the 21st Century can easily relate with most of the highlights. Conversely, some of the issues have been acknowledged by various educational authorities, as highlighted in page vii of the 3rd edition of Career Dynamics in the 21st Century. What of emerging issues?
Naturally, I would have reminded the 9000 principals of secondary schools that the world has evolved through 5 eras. The current one is the talent era of the 21st Century. The 8-4-4 school system is still stack in the 20th Century paradigms of the information knowledge era of the 20th Century.
As such, we are still in the 21st Century physically, but mentally in the 20th Century. Luckily, the CBC has embraced the 21st Century Paradigms of the talent era, as the case with a huge proportion of the global community. However, the CBC students are in thext one year or so, transiting to lower secondary schools. How well are secondary school teachers prepared for the new crop of students?
Our experience based on continued engagement with secondary school teachers, is that the majority have no clue whatsoever on the 21st Century Paradigms, of the talent era. It will therefore be a gigantic task aligning them appropriately, if the desired success of the CBC will be achieved. All is not lost though since our empowerment strategy for teachers is still on course, as can be confirmed by those who have experienced the same.
YouTube version
https://youtu.be/5-JHmrzr_gw
Rgds
Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach
Seasoned Speaker/Trainer/Consultant on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Competency Based Curriculum-CBC Architect
Author of 1. KICD approved Career Dynamics in the 21st Century, 2. Living Beyond Survival:No More Tiptoeing in Life
- The 21st Century Student:Are You Creating The Future Today? Also, Retired 5 Year Monthly Strategy Columnist (2013 – 2018) for The SME Today Magazine Phone 254772516210
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