The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has welcomed recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education reforms.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu says the Working Party report on Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is based on extensive research especially having taken into consideration the input of stakeholders in the sector, especially the teachers. The Union says it, among other things, supports the recommendation to have junior secondary domiciled in primary schools.
“CBC now has grades 7,8 and 9 domiciled in primary schools under one head,” said the Secretary-General
“KNUT conducted yet another research and we gave our research findings to Prof Raphael Manavu and we inducted all the branches based on the research and every branch knew what to say about CBC and the amendments that we expect. And what the branches said were internalized by the presidential working party,” he added
In Oyuu’s view, the latest recommendations “will succeed any time on the premises of research that we do to have a proper position.”
What’s more, the union said it is backing the report for the reason that the Presidential working party report has addressed issues about the categorization of schools which he says ought to be abolished.
“We must de-categorize schools because we cannot afford to categorize schools anymore. Every child in this country needs education. Categorization of schools brought in a lot of classism,” said Oyuu
He said having de-categorized schools, the Presidential working party has given a lot of room on how the Teachers Service Commission should post teachers while also making valid recommendations on the number of subjects to be taught in schools.
“The working load for teachers in this republic was too much. Based on the number of teachers and what teachers need to teach in the learning areas, the working party has reduced the number of subjects taught at different levels,” he said during a teachers’ Annual General Meeting in Eldama Ravine, Baringo County.
