Parents and Teachers Welcome CBC Subjects Reduction
Teachers and parents have reacted positively to the news, expressing happiness that their children will have more time to focus on fundamental subjects and participate in extracurricular activities.
Silas Obuhatsa, chairman of the National Parents Association, praised the adjustments, stating that they will relieve the load on parents who have been struggling since the commencement of CBC.
Obuhatsa stated that the adjustments are in line with the presidential working party’s proposal to the parents.
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In 2021, parents took to social media to express their unhappiness with CBC, claiming that the system was stressful and pricey to parents. Parents vented their annoyance at being forced to participate in their children’s education.
Silas Obuhatsa expressed gratitude for the government’s responsiveness to parents’ concerns, acknowledging the necessary adjustments made.
He affirmed support for the reduction in subjects, emphasizing its positive impact in making the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) more feasible, particularly for the most economically challenged households.
The changes are in line with suggestions made by a presidential working group on education reforms, which raised concerns about curriculum overload and student stress.
The streamlining initiative was spearheaded by KICD, with an emphasis on subject integration and avoiding duplication.
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In a circular announcing the changes, Kipsang reported that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has streamlined learning areas following recommendations from the presidential working party. The objective is to address concerns related to content overload, gaps, and overlaps in the curriculum.
Kipsang indicated that CBC meets the presidential team’s suggestion at the pre-primary level.
He also stated that senior school rules will be presented in the first term of 2024.
When schools reopen, teachers will also have the opportunity to become acquainted with the curriculum design.
According to the circular, it has been conveyed that the revised curriculum designs for the streamlined learning areas will be accessible on the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) website starting from January 2024. Additionally, these designs will be disseminated to schools during the first term.
As recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), the Ministry of Education has decreased curricula for lower and upper primary schools.
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On August 1, 2023, the report on the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was released.
According to the PWPER, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should rationalize the number of learning areas and curriculum designs in Basic Education in terms of scope and integration of subjects within learning areas, gaps, content overload, and overlaps.
According to PWPER, learning areas in Pre-Primary (PP1-PP2) should not exceed 5 Lower Primary (Grades 1-3) learning areas should not exceed seven, and Upper Primary (Grades 4-6) learning areas should not exceed eight.
Other proposals include limiting the number of learning areas in Junior School (Grades 7-9) to nine and limiting the number of learning areas in Senior School (Grades 10-12) to seven.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) rationalized learning areas.
In Pre-Primary (PP1-PP2), they agreed on five learning areas since they are congruent with the PWPER report’s suggestion.
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Agriculture and parts of home science have been combined into a single composite topic known as Agriculture and Nutrition, which has four courses each week.
Language Activities (5), Mathematical Activities (5), Creative Activities (6), Environmental Activities (5), Religious Activities (3), and Pastoral/Religious Instruction Programme (1) are the five learning areas and number of lessons in Pre-Primary.
The ministry has reduced the number of learning areas in Lower Primary from nine to seven.
The Ministry of Education has lowered the number of lessons per week from 35 to 31, including the Pastoral Programme of Instruction (PPI).
Environmental Activities now include hygiene and nutrition activities, with four lessons per week.
With seven courses, Creative Arts will include components of Art, Craft, Music, and Physical Education.
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Indigenous Language Activities (2), Kiswahili Language Activities and Kenya Sign Language Activities (4), English Language Activities (5), Mathematical Activities (5), Religious Education Activities (3), Environmental Activities (4), Creative Activities (7), Pastoral and Religious Instruction Programme (1) are among the Lower Primary (Grade 1-3) earning areas and lessons.
In Upper Primary (Grades 4 and 6), the ministry will reduce the number of learning areas from ten to eight.
“We will lower the number of lessons per week from 40 to 35, including the Pastoral/Religious Curriculum.”
“We have combined Agriculture with components of Home Science to create a composite subject named Agriculture and Nutrition, featuring four courses each week.”
With seven courses, Creative Arts will include components of Arts & Crafts, Music, and Physical Education.
Junior School learning areas will be decreased from fourteen to nine.
According to the Ministry of Education, all students must take all nine core topics.
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The reduction in the number of lessons per week, including the Pastoral Programme of Instruction (PPI), has brought the total down from 45 to 40.
Integrated Science and Health Education are also unified into a single learning area named Integrated Science, featuring five classes each week.
Consolidating Life Skills and Social Studies Education, educators will now teach a unified subject named Social Studies, featuring four lessons weekly.
Agriculture and selected components of home science are now integrated into a composite subject titled Agriculture and Nutrition, encompassing four lessons each week.
The merger of Pre-Technical Studies, Computer Studies, and Business Studies results in the formation of a new composite subject known as Pre-Technical Studies, with four lessons per week.
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As per the Ministry of Education, Physical Education and Sports, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts have undergone integration into a composite subject known as Creative Arts and Sports, comprising five lessons weekly.
At the Junior School level, Other Languages (Foreign, Sign Language (SL), and Indigenous Language) will be treated as non-formal programs and will not undergo examination.
According to the ministry, schools will be provided with designs and curriculum support materials to help their implementation.
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Parents and Teachers Welcome CBC Subjects Reduction
