Let me dive straight into this heated debate about the Competency-Based Curriculum, or CBC, that’s stirring up quite the conversation across Kenya. You see, there’s a split camp right now: folks calling for its end and others arguing we haven’t really given it a fair shot. And honestly, they all have valid points. Parents are feeling the pinch with costs, teachers are swamped with work, and schools reckon it’s a bit too demanding.
But here’s the thing I want to put across – the issue isn’t CBC itself. No, the real issue lies in how we’re going about implementing and managing CBC.
I would like to draw a comparison between the CBC rollout and the COVID vaccine rollout. Remember how quickly those vaccines came out? Well, CBC was pushed out sort of the same way, without the thorough testing you’d expect for something so big. This approach has left many of us unsure, sceptical even, about whether it’s going to work out as intended.
It’s not that there’s no effort from the government’s side. The problem, as I see it, is there hasn’t been enough clarity or enough testing shared about CBC. We’re all left in the dark, guessing how thoroughly CBC was vetted before it was introduced to us and our kids.
Going back a bit, there was a clear reason why CBC came into the picture. The old system just wasn’t cutting it, leaving graduates unprepared for the real world. So, when the Jubilee government took over, they were keen on implementing what the country had been yearning for. That’s the backdrop against which CBC was introduced.
But here’s where it gets interesting – despite switching to CBC, we seem to be facing familiar troubles. It’s not about CBC being flawed; it’s about how we’re bringing it into our schools and homes. It’s about getting everyone, from top government officials to local teachers, on the same page.
Right now there is a bit of nostalgia for the old system. It is not that CBC is so bad that the old one was better, it is just because we have forgotten how it hurt and just how much we complained back then. All the complaining is very familiar and perhaps we just want a more familiar kind of pain as opposed to 8-4-4 being better.
So, what I’m trying to say in “CBC In Kenya” is this: CBC isn’t the villain of this story. The challenge is in how we’re rolling it out. We all have a role to play in making CBC a success. It’s not about tossing CBC out the window; it’s about taking this concept and executing it properly.
In essence, the ongoing debate around CBC is a call to action for all of us. It’s about working together to refine our approach to education, ensuring it serves our children best. It’s not merely about switching from one system to another; it’s about making meaningful changes that truly enhance learning for every Kenyan child. So let’s not give up on CBC just yet. Instead, let’s focus on making its implementation as smooth and effective as possible.
