New curriculum should build on foundation laid by 8-4-4 system

By KENNEDY BUHERE
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Summary

• The ministry is reforming the system of education to make it more relevant and responsive to the changing environment and not because the curriculum of the 8-4-4 system is weak.
• The current curriculum exalts academic capability to the exclusion of other abilities and inclinations available as career options or paths.
• A significant proportion of young people are not able to achieve their full potential and many students leave formal schooling without critical skills and habits of thinking. 

The new curriculum seeks to build, not destroy, the foundations that define the 8-4-4 system.Conflicting sentiments have greeted the curriculum reform initiative that the Ministry of Education launched recently.

Some critics have argued that the current curriculum has produced first-rate academicians, entrepreneurs, and employees and should, therefore, be retained.

Others have claimed that the implementation of the 8-4-4 system was to blame for its deficiencies. They suggest that the cure is to address the shortcomings.

The ministry is reforming the system of education to make it more relevant and responsive to the changing environment and not because the curriculum of the 8-4-4 system is weak.

The environment in which this system was established has radically changed, both nationally and internationally. There now exist social, political, technological, and economic influences that demand an education system that can address them.

We also have a new Constitution that calls for the adoption of certain values and mindsets to fit in with democracy.

Changes in educational technology and new understanding about how best to facilitate learning among children are creating the need for new approaches to teaching and learning.

New technologies are making information available, providing an opportunity for exciting potential to enrich learning and enable every child to access quality and affordable education.

These changes have made it necessary for the government to take a fresh look at the curriculum. The skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes that learning and teaching promote must reflect and respond to the needs and expectations of Kenyans, the global population, and the world of work today.

The current curriculum exalts academic capability to the exclusion of other abilities and inclinations available as career options or paths.

The proposed curriculum envisages three pathways for growth and development: academic, vocational or technical, and talent. The curriculum will be flexible and will seek to identify and develop the potential of every learner. This will help learners to make informed decisions on their career path.

A significant proportion of young people are not able to achieve their full potential and many students leave formal schooling without critical skills and habits of thinking.  

The 8-4-4 curriculum has admittedly been able to develop first rate minds and brains. It has also, by default, also left behind a significant number of people in terms of strong literacy and numeracy skills, to say nothing of the critical thinking and life-long education that defines a truly excellent education system. 

What we need is a curriculum that will enable young people to understand the world they live in, reach the highest possible levels of achievement, and equip them for work and learning throughout their lives.
Learners in basic education institutions should be able to read, write, and numerate effectively. These are the foundational skills on which all other learning builds.

Literacy and numeracy is not enough in this day and age. Learners ought to have the ability to think, reason, solve problems, and be able to navigate the world with minimal or no supervision. This is what the world needs. To develop these abilities, a rich, strong, and balanced curriculum is needed; a curriculum that will embody the link between knowledge and critical thinking.

The overall goal of the ongoing curriculum reform is to sustain the highest possible standards of excellence in education. The object is to have learning that strengthens the capacity of children.

The change in curriculum is, therefore, about radical improvement and reform for the sake of our children. And we need teachers who are trained to effectively and efficiently manage and deliver the curriculum.

The new curriculum seeks to build, not destroy, the foundations that define the 8-4-4 system.

Mr Buhere is a communications officer in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. kbuhere@education.go.ke