What Education Changes to Expect in 2024 with CBC System Taking Center Stage This Academic Year
The new academic year will herald various changes in schools, including decreased subjects for learners following the first review of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), a shift in enrollment patterns, and an increase in demand for Junior Secondary teachers.
By the beginning of the academic year, universities are expected to revise their Bachelor of Education degree programs to align with CBC at the secondary school level.
Additionally, The Open University of Kenya, the country’s first virtual public institution, granted a charter by President Ruto in August last year, is slated to commence operations in the new academic year.
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Learners will have fewer subjects and lessons each day as a result of the recent CBC review, which will reduce the load on learners and parents while also requiring them to purchase fewer textbooks.
The Ministry of Education predicts a shift in enrollment patterns this year.
Due to the restructure up to grade six, there is an anticipated dramatic fall in primary school enrollment. Concurrently, there is a prediction of a rise in JSS admissions as students advance from grade eight to grade nine.
A head teacher of a primary school explained that in 2024, there is an anticipation of a significant shift in primary school enrollment due to the restructuring up to grade six.
The explanation further highlighted a notable increase in JSS admissions as students transition from grade eight to grade nine. Additionally, there is an expectation of changes in the curriculum with a streamlined approach featuring a reduction in subjects.
This increase in the number of students between levels will also result in extra teachers for JSS. The anticipated need for JSS teachers, which was 73,000 by the end of last year, is expected to stabilize at 120,923 by this year. The instructors recruited over time will constitute an appropriate number for the level of instruction.
According to the expected staffing needs for the 23,274 primary schools, the number of teachers will fall to 200,542, down from 233, 965 last year.
The adoption of the 2-6-3-3-3 structure is attributing the reduction in the number of primary school teachers after 2022, as per the report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform. This restructuring aims to decrease the number of years spent in primary schools from eight to six.
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English (14, 396), Mathematics (14, 396), pre-technical education (14, 396), Kiswahili (11,517), and integrated science (11, 517) are the subjects that would account for the bulk of instructors in JSS in 2024, according to teacher projections.
Based on recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER), the Ministry of Education recently streamlined the subjects for both lower and upper elementary schools.
The stakeholders urged the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to narrow the scope of the curriculum, with a focus on integrating topics, repeating content, and addressing overlaps in educational levels.
According to PWPER’s recommendations, the curriculum for Pre-Primary (PPI-PP2) should include no more than five learning areas.
English (14, 396), Mathematics (14, 396), pre-technical education (14, 396), Kiswahili (11,517), and integrated science (11, 517) are the subjects that would account for the bulk of instructors in JSS in 2024, according to teacher projections.
This number was established at seven for Lower Primary (Grades 1-3) and eight for Upper Primary (Grades 4-6). Furthermore, the limit for Junior School (Grades 7-9) was nine learning areas, while Senior School (Grades 10-12) should contain no more than seven.
The KICD, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, rationalized the curriculum in response to these ideas. In Pre-Primary, for example, the five designated learning areas include Language Activities (5), Mathematical Activities (5), Creative Activities (6), Environmental Activities (5), and Religious Activities, as well as the Pastoral/Religious Instruction Programme (1).
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To enhance coherence, the educational system merged Agriculture and components of Home Science into a unified curriculum named “Agriculture and Nutrition,” consisting of four weekly courses.
As Lower Primary (Grades 1-3) was introduced, the curriculum underwent a reduction from nine to seven learning areas. This version reduces the number of weekly classes from 35 to 31, including the Pastoral Program of Instruction (PPI).
Notably, Hygiene and Nutrition are now classified as Environmental Activities, totaling four lessons. Additionally, Creative Arts will include Art, Craft, Music, and Physical Education throughout the course of seven lessons.
Lower Primary (Grades 1-3) will incorporate 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), and Creative Activities (7). These activities will be supplemented by the Pastoral and Religious Instruction Programme (1).
With the transition to Lower Primary (Grades 1-3), the curriculum was reduced from nine to seven learning areas. This version reduces the number of weekly classes from 35 to 31, including the Pastoral Program of Instruction (PPI).
Notably, Hygiene and Nutrition are now classified as Environmental Activities, totaling four lessons. Additionally, Creative Arts will include Art, Craft, Music, and Physical Education throughout the course of seven lessons.
Another teacher expressed commendation for the new curriculum, particularly acknowledging the shift from the previous emphasis solely on arithmetic. The teacher highlighted the reduction in subject load, which is seen as a positive measure to alleviate pressure on students.
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The approach is considered beneficial as it moves away from an exam-centric model, placing a higher priority on skill development. The teacher also noted that the 8-4-4 system often resulted in student dropouts due to its demands. With the revised curriculum, there is optimism that the nation’s literacy rates will improve, given the renewed focus on skills rather than overwhelming students with numerous subjects.
The expected 100% transition rate to Form One at the secondary level raises worries about future classroom and dormitory congestion.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said after the release of the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) test results that all 1,415,315 candidates who marked the end of the 8-4-4 system after nearly four decades are poised to transition to high school.
Despite the increasing cost of living and the adoption of CBC, there is a movement to enhance the free primary education capitation money which presently stands at Sh1,420 per kid per year.
The establishment of free day secondary schooling in 2008 was accompanied by a capitation of Sh22,244 per student per year to finance tuition. Parents with children at day and boarding schools, on the other hand, must pay for meals, transportation, and accommodation.
Capitation and fees for boarding schools are based on the Ministry of Education’s fee guidelines for each school category, i.e., national, extra-country, and county, with Category A boarding schools costing Sh75,798 per year, of which the government contributes Sh22,244 and parents contribute Sh53,554.
The annual cost for Category B boarding schools is Sh62,779, with the government paying Sh22,244 (schools receive Sh18,869) and parents contributing Sh40,535. Protests have been persistent over school principals breaking these restrictions by imposing additional levies, with grievances surfacing at the start of each academic year.
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Nonetheless, the accent is now on CBC, a dynamic method that aims to shape students into adaptable individuals equipped with critical thinking and practical abilities. Historically, the 8-4-4 system has been chastised for its rigidity, frequently prioritizing rote memory over holistic development.
Recognizing the changing demands of the 21st-century student, the country welcomed the CBC in 2017, beginning a phased deployment. Since the beginning of their primary education journey, children in public institutions and the majority of private schools have been immersed in the curriculum.
According to the World Bank, since Kenya’s first comprehensive National Literacy Survey in 2006, literacy rates among adults aged 15 and above have increased from 61.5 percent to about 78.7 percent by 2014. Notably, female literacy rates have increased significantly, rising from 30% in 1979 to 74.9 percent in 2015, according to US government data.
Recent educational measures, however, show areas of concern. According to the World Bank, 70% of third-grade children were unable to read at the level anticipated of second-graders in 2015, a problem that was exacerbated in rural areas. Furthermore, just 11.4 percent of the 611,000 students who took their high school exams in 2017 satisfied the criteria for university admission.
What Education Changes to Expect in 2024 with CBC System Taking Center Stage This Academic Year
