This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
Published on September 2, 2019, schools in Kenya have reopened for the third term, marking the end of an eventful academic year.
The rollout of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) in pre-primary and lower primary has been one of the biggest events of the year in education, marking the first time the country has effected a curriculum reform since 1984.
While the implementation of the new curriculum has come with its fair share of success and challenges, the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has clarified the purpose of the Kenya Early Years Assessment, which was initially met with outcry from parents and learners.
According to an adviser at the Ministry of Education, the assessment is designed to check the progress of learning, much like weighing a child at birth and progressively monitoring its nutritional needs.
Private schools have reportedly fared better than public ones in the assessment, further widening the gap in academic performance between the two categories of learning institutions.
Experts at Knec will analyze the scores and provide feedback to stakeholders, including the Teachers Service Commission and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, to train tutors and assess the effectiveness of the curriculum.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and Secondary Education examinations are also set to take place, with Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha overseeing the tests for the first time.
However, the 1.78 million candidates will lose a week of study time due to the adjustment of the school calendar to allow for the National Population and Housing Census.
Teachers have raised concerns about the lack of Social Studies and Religious Education textbooks for Std 7 and 8, forcing parents to buy them, while those in Std 4, 5, and 6 will have gone a whole year without reading materials in all subjects if the government does not supply the books in the coming two months.
