This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
On Friday, President Uhuru Kenyatta made significant announcements regarding Kenya's new education system at the third National Conference on Curriculum Reforms at KICC in Nairobi. The changes aim to ensure 100 percent transition to secondary school by scrapping national examinations for primary school pupils.
Under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), primary school pupils will not be subjected to national examinations, allowing for a seamless transition to secondary school. This move is part of the government's efforts to reform the education system and prepare students for the demands of the modern workforce.
President Kenyatta emphasized the importance of nurturing creativity and innovation among Kenyan children, stating, "We need an education that is practical and hands-on, education which nurtures creativity and innovation. One that needs to encourage a problem-solving approach to challenges facing our communities."
Additionally, the President announced that junior secondary schools will be domiciled in secondary schools under the 2-6-3-3-3 education system. Junior secondary school will comprise learners in grades 7, 8, and 9, equivalent to classes 7, 8, and Form One in the current 8-4-4 system.
President Kenyatta expressed his commitment to facilitating the reforms in the education system, saying, "We are embarking on a process that will have a lot of challenges but one that will rest Kenya's growth trajectory. We need to use our education system to prepare our children to be the next Bill Gates and Steve Jobs."
