Numerous dissenters of the Competency Based Curriculum have one common perspective. It is an expensive curriculum that is meant for children from rich families, and should on that basis be scrapped. Really?
These assertions have constantly brought to mind the lessons from the Good Book of Hosea 4:6 which indicate that “My People Perish for Lack of knowledge.” Perhaps they need to become aware of some experiences in the education system that they may not have been exposed to.
Those of us who were in school in the 70s and 80s, especially in the rural areas have one thing in common. They can all recall practical lessons in arts and crafts ( earlier known as handcraft) for both boys and girls. They all learnt how to use their hands to make ropes, toys and other implements that were common in the rural setups.
Girls particularly were made to learn how to knit cardigans, bake cakes and other domestic oriented items. Some of us still recall how we rared rabbits and were personally able to build their shelters. All these lessons especially for boys, were totally independent from involvement of our parents, safe for permission to engage in the same.
The resources meant to help the boys to achieve their desired lessons, were mainly collected from the local environment, whereas parents could assist their girls in acquiring some of the needed materials. The good news is that there were no complaints at all, in this regard.
That is how young Kenyans who were very good with the work of their hands ended up in the then technical secondary schools, while others nurtured their skills through village polytechnics. Still, those who ended up in non-technical secondary schools had opportunities of elevating their skills through industrial arts workshops.
Personally, I witnessed a number of classmates who transfered to technical secondary schools, while proceeding to form 3. There were numerous technical secondary schools spread in the different national regions. Some of them included Kabete, Thika, Meru, Machakos, Sagana, Nyeri, Kisumu and many other such technical schools.
Perfection of technical abilities was still extended through the then Kenya Polytechnic in Nairobi and Mombasa Polytechnic too. Did you know that others young Kenyans from technical institutions still advanced their abilities through proceeding to universities?
These kind of arrangements ensured adequate supply of technical skills that were and still are aligned with blue collar jobs orientation. But, what happened to this empowerment pathway? The ministry of education has better answers on this.
The excuse of reviving the strategy through TVET – technical vocational educational training Institutions after form 4 is still, in my view a misinformed strategy. Technical secondary school education is now inevitable. In fact, it should precede TVET especially now that the STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Empowerment Strategy has been embraced by the education system, as part of the CBC.
Seemingly, the education system has headed back to the earlier abandoned technical skills. Only then will both rich and poor Kenyans discover the natural orientations that will lead each of them towards unleashing their full performance potential, in line with the paradigms of the 21st Century.
As such, the imagination of the CBC being expensive is totally misconstrued. Those incapable and perhaps residing in disadvantaged areas should be seeking for external assistance of making the CBC a reality, rather than condemning it, on the basis of costs. The eventual benefits of properly empowered human capital, will eventually outweigh the presumed costs that should best be perceived as investments on empowerment, isn’t it?
FYI
Latest pronouncements from the Kenyan Deputy president, during the Schools’ music festival in Kisumu, indicated that the government is only focusing on improvement of the implementation of CBC. Seemingly, what needs to be done has continually been articulated in this forum.
Meanwhile, our empowerment mission which aligns Kenyan students, teachers and other professionals with the paradigms of of the 21st Century Continue getting entrenched. The mission continues with a bang on Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th September for some Nairobi based schools. Four other schools in 4 different counties are still lined up in the first two weeks of the term.
Ideally, no institutional leaders should crack their heads as they struggle to improve performance in their schools. As such, other Kenyan schools are still WELCOME for our Locally and widely tested empowerment strategy.
Rgds
Mwangi Wanjumbi (MKIM)
Personal Empowerment Coach,
Speaker/Trainer/Consultant on Strategy, Performance, Change Management and Leadership.
Seasoned Trainer of Trainers,
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
3. 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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