This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
As the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) takes shape in lower primary schools, it's essential to understand its core principles and objectives. The CBC seeks to move beyond the conventional 8-4-4 system, which prioritized performance and ranking over skills and values.
Under the 8-4-4 system, students were ranked and schools were compared, creating a competitive environment that led to examination cheating and other negative spin-offs. In contrast, the CBC focuses on demonstrated acquisition of knowledge, skills, and values, rather than exam performance.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has clarified that the assessment being conducted for Grade Three pupils is not a national exam, but rather a means to establish whether learners have acquired the necessary knowledge, skills, and values to progress to the next level.
As the CBC implementation gains momentum, it's crucial for the Education ministry to intensify public communication to clarify matters and keep everyone informed about the new curriculum, its expected outcomes, and the role of parents.
On September 16, 2019, the Nation reported that the country was misled into believing that Grade Three pupils would sit a national exam, when in fact, the assessment was a means to gauge learners' progress.
