Final Report on Education Reforms Delayed as Kenyans Remain Hopeful.
Three weeks have passed since Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms concluded its work.
It however remains unclear why the report has not been made public despite Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu’s promises to do so.
The task force report is anticipated to provide guidance on a variety of education-related issues, from primary to higher education, all with the goal of enhancing the sector.
The Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms, which was announced on 30 September 2022, had six months to complete its duties.
The contract of the team led by professor of education Raphael Munavu, with a budget of Sh236 million, was to expire on March 30, 2023.
The committee would submit progress reports to President Ruto every two months.
The 49-member team was tasked with gathering Kenyan opinions and proposing modifications that would impact the implementation of the problematic Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
In addition to reexamining middle school education, they were to suggest changes to higher education.
After false starts, several weeks of data collection, and public input sessions, the team presented interim reports, of which the President rejected some. The team’s final report remains classified long after its mandate has expired.
On June 6, during a stakeholders’ validation process at the Centre for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education in Africa (Cemastea), Kenyans came the closest to interacting with the report’s subtler details.
But this was also a closed-door meeting, with the media prohibited from covering the event, which was attended by a limited number of carefully chosen stakeholders.
Mr. Machogu assured Kenyans shortly after the meeting that the report was complete and would be presented to the President. Three weeks after the validation meeting, the report’s fate is still unclear.
According to some insiders, President Ruto would have already released the report following the validation conference if the team had performed a comprehensive job.
On May 3, Machogu informed Kenyans that “the report will be delivered in two days.” Machogu stated that the report reflected all of the perspectives raised by stakeholders.
According to the statement made by Machogu, President Ruto was to receive the report on May 5.
The 30th of June, 2023 marked the ninth Friday since Machogu’s promise that the report would be released.
Through a Gazette Notice dated April 12, the committee was granted a two-month extension upon the expiration of its six-month mandate in April.
The notice stated that the tenure of the Presidential Working Group on education reforms had been extended until June 9, 2023. Therefore, the task force’s mandate expired three weeks ago, on June 7.
The positive news is that part of the proposed transition from 8-4-4 to 2-6-6-3 for students is currently being implemented.
The task force presented its first progress report to President Ruto on December 1 of last year, focusing primarily on fundamental education issues, specifically the transition from sixth to seventh grade.
The recommendations on the transition to Junior Secondary School (JSS) were hastily formulated because confusion threatened to undermine the reforms and time was running out before the major shift.
President Ruto swiftly directed that the Junior Secondary School (JSS) be housed in primary schools and instructed the Ministry of Education to make the necessary arrangements to relocate the students.
With JSS out of the way, the focus would transfer to Munavu’s task force, which would deliver on a number of issues ranging from funding for elementary and secondary education to tertiary and university education.
Proposals adopted under the new financing plan for tertiary and university education are also being implemented.
In the new plan, university funding has been increased and a new formula for financing students has been introduced.
Funding for university and college students will be divided into four categories: vulnerable, less vulnerable, needy, and less needy. This means that the government will cover the tuition fees of all vulnerable students through full scholarships, while also providing assistance to those in other categories.
The new strategy is already being implemented, as the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) is currently assigning courses to college and university students.
Kenyans are eagerly awaiting the final report on education reforms from a task force appointed by President William Ruto in September of last year.
Three weeks have passed since the team concluded its work, and it remains unclear why the report has not been made public despite Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu’s promises to do so.
The report is anticipated to provide guidance on a variety of education-related issues, from primary to higher education, all with the goal of enhancing the sector.
The Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms, which was announced on 30 September 2022, had six months to complete its duties.
The contract of the team led by professor of education Raphael Munavu, with a budget of Sh236 million, was to expire on March 30, 2023.
The committee would submit progress reports to President Ruto every two months.
The 49-member team was tasked with gathering Kenyan opinions and proposing modifications that would impact the implementation of the problematic Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
In addition to reexamining middle school education, they were to suggest changes to higher education.
After false starts, several weeks of data collection, and public input sessions, the team presented interim reports, of which the President rejected some. The team’s final report remains classified long after its mandate has expired.
On June 6, during a stakeholders’ validation process at the Centre for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education in Africa (Cemastea), Kenyans came the closest to interacting with the report’s subtler details.
But this was also a closed-door meeting, with the media prohibited from covering the event, which was attended by a limited number of carefully chosen stakeholders.
Mr. Machogu assured Kenyans shortly after the meeting that the report was complete and would be presented to the President. Three weeks after the validation meeting, the report’s fate is still unclear.
According to some insiders, President Ruto would have already released the report following the validation conference if the team had performed a comprehensive job.
On May 3, Machogu informed Kenyans that “the report will be delivered in two days.” Machogu stated that the report reflected all of the perspectives raised by stakeholders.
“Some of you have complained that the course load is a touch too intense. The answer will be revealed on Friday, when the chief of state makes his announcement in accordance with the task force’s recommendations, as stated by the CS.
According to the statement made by Machogu, President Ruto was to receive the report on May 5.
The 30th of June, 2023 marked the ninth Friday since Machogu’s promise that the report would be released.
Through a Gazette Notice dated April 12, the committee was granted a two-month extension upon the expiration of its six-month mandate in April.
The notice stated that the tenure of the Presidential Working Group on education reforms had been extended until June 9, 2023. Therefore, the task force’s mandate expired three weeks ago, on June 7.
Prof. Munavu declined to communicate with The Standard about the report on Friday. When asked why the report had not been released, he responded, “Monday (today) would be an appropriate time for me to comment.”
The positive news is that part of the proposed transition from 8-4-4 to 2-6-6-3 for students is currently being implemented.
The task force presented its first progress report to President Ruto on December 1 of last year, focusing primarily on fundamental education issues, specifically the transition from sixth to seventh grade.
The recommendations on the transition to Junior Secondary School (JSS) were hastily formulated because confusion threatened to undermine the reforms and time was running out before the major shift.
President Ruto swiftly directed that the Junior Secondary School (JSS) be housed in primary schools and instructed the Ministry of Education to make the necessary arrangements to relocate the students.
With JSS out of the way, the focus would transfer to Munavu’s task force, which would deliver on a number of issues ranging from funding for elementary and secondary education to tertiary and university education.
Proposals adopted under the new financing plan for tertiary and university education are also being implemented.
In the new plan, university funding has been increased and a new formula for financing students has been introduced.
Funding for university and college students will be divided into four categories: vulnerable, less vulnerable, needy, and less needy. This means that the government will cover the tuition fees of all vulnerable students through full scholarships, while also providing assistance to those in other categories.
The new strategy is already being implemented, as the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) is currently assigning courses to college and university students.
According to sources who spoke with The Standard, President Ruto’s decision to provide early guidance on the JSS transition and financing of students in universities and colleges exposed the task force as its work came into sharp focus. This was apparent during the team’s presentation of its second interim report to the president in February, which Ruto reportedly deemed average.
Ruto instructed the team to evaluate and recommend governance and financing frameworks for TVETs, universities, research, and training.
The committee was also tasked with recommending a framework for pre-service and in-service teacher education and training, as well as how tutors may be deployed.
In addition, the proposal was required to recommend technology for curriculum delivery, enhanced learning outcomes, and education management.
Ruto also wanted them to provide guidance on the governance mechanisms of educational institutions and the sharing of resources across schools and TVET institutions in order to maximize the use of public resources for enhanced learning outcomes.
Their mandate also included the streamlining of middle-level education, the launch of Open University of Kenya, and the consolidation of main higher education funds, as outlined in the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.
Final Report on Education Reforms Delayed as Kenyans Remain Hopeful
