Internal Publication
The state of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya: the benefits and weaknesses of the CBC, achievements, obstacles on the CBC implementation, some of the strategies employed by the government to mitigate the difficulties encountered and recommendations to propel the implementation process
Academic paper supervised by: Prof. Sammy Chumba & Dr John Njoroge.
Abstract: Kenya introduced the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2017 to assist her people in acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, moral standards, and perceptions in order to prosper in the twenty-first century, with an emphasis on providing students the ability to obtain, improve, and use knowledge, values, and attitudes which would then lead to the use of acquired skills. Those who implement the CBC should thoroughly be skilled and knowledgeable of the curriculum, put out the maximum effort and exhibit good interests, perceptions, beliefs, and conduct. CBC has numerous benefits such as giving life skills and ethical skills to learners; it is learner-focused, has continued and competency-based assessment, focuses on competencies, it is digitally-based, encourages corporative learning; learners are involved in community services; parents are engaged in learners education outcomes, fosters excellence and expands learners opportunities. CBC's weaknesses; it focuses on employer needs, takes an objectivist approach, ignores social learning, and does not fit many learners' learning styles. CBC implementation achievements in Kenya; having a central body responsible for developing the entire curriculum (KICD), TSC and MOE have applied a multi-sectorial strategy in conducting in-service training of teachers, and officials involved in the implementation of CBC, mass employment of teachers by TSC, introduction and implementation of diploma program for P1 teachers (DPTE), implementation of retraining program for in-service teachers (TPD), government has invested heavily in education sector through huge financial allocations every year, the successful implementation of CBC in the first and earlier phases and the formation of a Task Force ( PPTF) to access the CBC across the country. However, data from several investigations on CBC adoption show significant shortcomings, particularly deficient and poorly prepared teachers, lack of enough teaching and learning materials, inadequate parental support, inflexible curriculum structures, teachers’ extensive record-keeping, and opposition from teachers. The Kenyan government should look for ways of mitigating the challenges encountered during CBC implementation. This includes building classrooms, providing enough learning and teaching materials, increase more funding in the education sector, and employing more teachers. BOM should employ extra teachers. Involve parents and other stakeholders in CBC implementation; CBC content and materials should be used during teacher training, remittance of funds should be done in time, reduce documents filled by teachers, encourage private investors, facilitate and support digital learning, and lastly ensure funds allocated to the education sector are prudently and appropriately utilized.
Author: Munyoki, Johnson
Institution: Moi University | Centre: East and South African-German Centre for Educational Research, Methodologies and Management (CERM-ESA)
Type: Academic paper | English
Subjects: Education
Date: 2023 | Pages: 24
Copyright: Munyoki Johnson Ngumbau and Moi University | License: Open Access
