The Challenges Facing Competency Based Curriculum in Kenya
The introduction of competency based curriculum (CBC) in Kenya has been lauded as a game-changer in the country’s education system.
CBC aims to foster critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and communication skills in students by equipping them with practical knowledge and skills that are relevant to their future careers.
Read CBC vs. 8-4-4: An In-Depth Comparison of Education Systems
However, the implementation of Competency based curriculum has not been without challenges, particularly in public primary schools.
Challenges Facing Competency Based Curriculum
1.Lack of Labs for CBC Practicals in Public Primary Schools
One of the key components of CBC is the practical approach to learning, where students are expected to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in real-life situations.
This requires adequate laboratory facilities and equipment to support the practicals.
Unfortunately, many public primary schools in Kenya lack these resources, making it challenging for teachers to implement CBC effectively.
The government needs to invest more in infrastructure development in public primary schools to create adequate laboratory facilities and equip them with the necessary resources.
Alternatively, the government can consider partnering with private entities to support the infrastructure development in public primary schools.
2.Lack of Enough Teachers
CBC requires a teacher-student ratio of 1:25, which is significantly lower than the previous ratio of 1:40.
This means that schools need to employ more teachers to meet the recommended ratio.
However, many public primary schools in Kenya still have a shortage of teachers, which has led to overburdened teachers and compromised quality of education.
To address this challenge, the government needs to invest more in teacher training and recruitment to ensure that there are enough qualified teachers to meet the demand.
The government can also consider providing incentives to attract more teachers to work in public primary schools, especially in remote and underserved areas.
Lack of Specialized Teachers i.e French Tutors
CBC requires specialized teachers for subjects such as foreign languages, music, and physical education.
However, many public primary schools in Kenya lack these specialized teachers, which has led to compromised quality of education in these subjects.
The government needs to invest more in teacher training and recruitment for specialized subjects to ensure that there are enough qualified teachers to teach them.
Additionally, the government can consider partnering with private entities to support the recruitment and training of specialized teachers.
3.Lack of Enough Classrooms
CBC requires a conducive learning environment, which includes adequate classroom space. Unfortunately, many public primary schools in Kenya lack enough classrooms to accommodate the increased number of students under CBC.
The government needs to invest more in infrastructure development in public primary schools to create enough classrooms to accommodate the increased number of students under CBC.
Alternatively, the government can consider implementing a shift system to accommodate the increased number of students.
4.Lack of Electricity
CBC requires the use of electronic devices such as computers and projectors to support teaching and learning.
However, many public primary schools in Kenya lack access to electricity, which has made it challenging to implement CBC effectively.
The government needs to invest more in electricity infrastructure development in public primary schools to ensure that all schools have access to electricity.
Additionally, the government can consider providing solar-powered devices to schools in remote and underserved areas.
5.Lack of Computers and Internet
CBC requires the use of computers and the internet to support teaching and learning.
Unfortunately, many public primary schools in Kenya lack access to these resources, which has made it challenging to implement Competency Based Curriculum effectively.
The government needs to invest more in providing computers and internet access to public primary schools to support the implementation of Competency based curriculum
Additionally, the government can consider
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