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Universities, Tertiary Institutions Preparing For CBC Students

Universities, Tertiary Institutions Preparing For CBC Students.The Ministry of Education has begun discussions with universities through the State Department of Curriculum Reforms in preparation for the implementation of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) in the institutions.Prof Fatuma Chege, the principal secretary, assured stakeholders that universities were fully represented and shared their thoughts on how the institutions should prepare to admit the first CBC cohort in 2029. She stated this during the CBC Taskforce Committee’s deliberations.“The reforms in the CBC start from early childhood education, primary schools, junior secondary, senior secondary and tertiary institutions, including universities, and must be CBC compliant,” she said.Based on KCSE trends, it is estimated that approximately 15% of the 1,247,140 students currently enrolled in the pioneer CBC class, or (183,080), will attend university. The remaining 85 percent (1,064,060) are expected to continue their education at other tertiary institutions.Currently, the CBC begins in Grade Six and will be expanded to junior secondary in January of next year. The curriculum is designed to expose students to their career interests as soon as they enter junior secondary school and to allow them to choose their career paths as soon as they enter senior secondary school. At least two pathways should be available at each senior secondary school.According to the CBC taskforce report, learners will pursue three pathways in senior secondary school, with 60 percent of them being science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), 25 percent being social sciences, and 15 percent being sports, science, and art sciences. The CBC will require universities to align their programs to accommodate students who have completed the three pathways in senior secondary.According to the taskforce report, the Commission for University Education (CUE) should expedite the development and review of university programs to align with the three pathways. In order to attract more students, most universities have shifted their focus away from niche programs and toward courses in the arts and business. Education stakeholders have identified this as a major source of unemployment.According to the Kenya Economic Survey (2021), the country lost over 187,300 formal jobs between June 2020 and June 2021. Every year, over 800,000 students graduate from various colleges and universities, but only a small percentage of them find work.Students in secondary school will have the opportunity to use technical and vocational education training (Tvets) institutions near them to gain exposure to a variety of training courses. The goal is to train tradespeople, artisans, technicians, and professional practitioners in fields such as engineering, accounting, nursing, medicine, and architecture at a young age.Senior secondary, according to the KICD Basic Education Curriculum Framework, will lay the groundwork for further education and training for students at the tertiary level and in the workplace.Pathways at the secondary level have assisted young people in graduating from high school and successfully transitioning into post-secondary education, training, or employment in countries such as Canada. Other countries, including Malaysia, Sweden, and New Zealand, have embraced the system of introducing career pathways to students in senior secondary school, addressing the barriers that college and university graduates face when seeking self-employment or formal employment.Learners in the arts and sports science pathway will be able to contribute to the country’s economic development by utilizing their talents. They will attend middle-level colleges or universities and pursue careers in the visual or performing arts, as well as the sports industry. Learners will also be prepared for careers in the sports industry as a result of the pathway.The social science pathway is intended to provide learners with skills in productive problem solving, decision making, creative thinking, and making balanced value judgements in both the physical and social environments.The STEM pathway, on the other hand, will expose students to the use of technology in order to develop a labor force that will drive Kenya’s economy.Pure sciences, applied sciences, technical engineering, and career and technology studies will be introduced to students.Graduates of the CTS will be awarded certificates upon completion of Grade 12 and artisan equivalent certificates, allowing them to enter industries and work under the supervision of experienced individuals to learn on the job skills.Beauty, plumbing, welding, tailoring, catering, mechanics, and tour guiding will all be available as career options.Those interested in pure sciences should enroll in a university or a middle level college to pursue careers in education, medicine, pharmacy, science, industrial science, and actuarial science. ALSO READ:The pathway will also allow some students to enter the job market under the supervision of experienced individuals and receive additional training and apprenticeships to advance their skills, while technical engineering students will acquire competencies in pre-technical and pre-career education at junior secondary school.Learners with special needs are also accommodated, and they will be exposed to skills and competencies that will instill in them job-market skills based on their interests.Universities, Tertiary Institutions Preparing For CBC Students

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