KICD Explains Why Kenya is Ending the 8-Year Primary School Duration Tradition.
Charles Ong’ondo, the CEO of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), has explained the ongoing curriculum reforms, highlighting an important issue regarding the duration learners stay in school.
Ong’ondo revealed that Kenya was the only country in East Africa to keep students in primary school for eight years.
Ong’ondo explained that during the curriculum reform process, it was discovered that Kenya’s system of keeping learners in school for eight years at the primary level was unique within the East African region.
“At the time we were reforming the curriculum, it was discovered that we were the only country in the East African region that were keeping children in primary school for 8 years,” he stated.
He emphasized that this situation made it necessary for the country to align its education system with global practices.
The KICD CEO also pointed out that this revelation was supported by the findings of the task force report, which compared Kenya’s education system with those of other countries.
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Ong’ondo noted that many countries had already adopted shorter primary school durations, with many only requiring seven years, aligning with global standards.
He added that the East African Community (EAC) protocol had also adopted Competency-Based Education (CBE) as the default curriculum, and signatories to this agreement agreed that no country should keep learners in primary school for more than seven years.
“We were the only country keeping learners in school for 8 years, and so it was necessary that we align ourselves to what the rest of the world was doing,” Ong’ondo said.
His remarks were part of a broader discussion about the need to adapt Kenya’s education system to ensure it is in line with international standards while meeting the specific needs of learners.
In his address, Ong’ondo also touched on the structure of Competency-Based Education, which is designed to be flexible and practical, allowing learners to pursue areas of interest while focusing on developing essential skills.
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He emphasized that the curriculum is rooted in cognitive developmental psychology and includes various stages that foster socialization, literacy, numeracy, and personal discovery.
As the country continues to reform its education system, the focus is on making it more adaptable to global changes while ensuring it meets the educational needs of Kenyan children.
KICD Explains Why Kenya is Ending the 8-Year Primary School Duration Tradition.
