CBC Task Force Faces Obstacles a Day After Formation
Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU) has promised to contest the results of the Working Party Education Reform, which was tasked with reviewing the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
President William Ruto erred, according to KUSU, by excluding them from the 49-member task committee chaired by Professor Raphael Munavu.
In defending their decision to contest the findings, KUSU administrators cited the president’s violation of the Constitution’s public participation mandate.
Charles Mukhwaya, general secretary of the KUSU, stated, “As a union, we want to remind President Ruto that he cannot assemble such a panel to solve concerns of education and leave out major players like us.”
“As a union, we feel the government of President Ruto did not do any due diligence. The government did not respect the Constitution, which clearly dictates that he ought to have involved the public.
"We as key stakeholders in education expected relevant unions to be represented in the task force,” he added.
Mukhwaya lamented that, in addition to KUSU, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), and Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) were also ignored.
KUSU stated that the presence of vice-chancellors Stephen Kiama of the University of Nairobi (UoN) and Paul Wainaina of Kenyatta University was insufficient to persuade the union that tertiary teachers were adequately represented.
They contended that vice-chancellors have been accused of mismanaging institutions and hence cannot represent their juniors.
Therefore, he encouraged Ruto to move expeditiously and persuade them not to challenge the task group and its findings in court.
On Friday, September 30, Ruto published the Working Party Education Reform, setting the stage for CBC scrutiny.
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He stated that the recommendations would make CBC less expensive and more accessible to all students.
Among the important areas he instructed the team to review were the examination system, transition mechanisms, and the assignment of teachers.
Part of the Gazette Notice said, “Study all laws controlling the tertiary education subsector and submit proposals for a review of these legislations to streamline effectiveness and efficiency in the subsector.”
“Review and recommend legislation to facilitate the amalgamation of HELB, TVET and University Funding Boards with a view of harmonizing and merging all tertiary education funding entities,” the head of state directed.
CBC Task Force Faces Obstacles a Day After Formation
