KNUT Welcomes Plan to Reduce CBC Subjects

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has applauded the proposal by the Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms to remove certain subjects from the CBC curriculum.

Collins Oyuu, the secretary general of Knut, disclosed the union’s position in an interview with Citizen TV.

Oyuu stated that the Kenya National Union of Teachers fully supports the proposal of the presidential working group to reduce the number of subjects.

The Knut CEO was perplexed when he heard teachers criticize the proposal to reduce the number of subjects, claiming that a teacher’s workload determines their performance.

“When you have too much on your desk to do, you will definitely turn out not to be a performer,” Oyuu said.

He stated that parents should also support the new proposal because it will reduce the cost of the Competency-Based Curriculum.

“Parents have complained about the cost of the Competency-Based Curriculum. When subjects remain as they are, the practical work curriculum will continue to be a burden,” Oyuu said.

The Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms suggested that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) reduce the number of subjects for grades one through three from nine to seven.

For grades six through four, the party proposed a reduction from 12 to eight subjects. If the reforms are implemented, the subject load for grades seven through nine will be cut from 14 to 9.

The working group had taken note of stakeholders’ complaints about the high expense of the curriculum and the abundance of learning areas.

“Stakeholders raised concerns about the high number of learning areas in primary and junior secondary schools; curriculum overload and overlap; the high cost of updating CBC passed on to parents; internet and electricity connectivity challenges that negatively affect digital literacy: and low levels of literacy and numeracy for basic learning,” the report states in part.

KNUT Welcomes Plan to Reduce CBC Subjects