Education

Presidential working party

After months of what we thought would result in a critical review of the CBC, the working party delivered pure wind. It will go down as one of those commissions that helped to abort a curriculum. They have recommended the reduction of subjects in JSS, purely for economic purposes and not based on any scientific research. It will open the stage for further reductions, as schools depending on resources will implement what they can afford also. Dealing with the semantics of renaming JSS to JS is not a reform necessary in this day and age.

The re- requirements for community services is a recommendation one expected due to the mission's obsession with the past . Its something be-deviling the education sector in Kenya. There are no young and vibrant minds who can inject fresh ideas and provide knowledge of what the present generation desires in the classroom.

Community service is outdated and don't be surprised that the current generation will shun and make a mockery of it. I expected them to solve the issue of modernizing our subjects, dealing with the critical issue of learning ability in our classrooms. How do we ensure that every child is given equal attention and time to learn?The large class sizes will continue to grow bigger, and teacher's opinion ignored and never sought. The teacher is the heart and soul of any Education system, a reform that ignores that is bound to fail.

East Africa Education.

It's now clear that the purported curriculum review will abort. The world record curriculum review of three months, will eventually kill our Education system. The chest thumping by officials and silence of critical institutions, have both contributed to the death of our education system. As on Education writer once quipped " Government would want the education of the masses to be mediocre, for them to rule." What they are offering in the new system none of their children can go through it.

Education East Africa.

CURRICULUM REFORMS

The task force report on curriculum reforms in Kenya makes a critical structural reform that was needed in this country, and that is having a Junior and Senior high.

The reform was critical for the students to be provided with an opportunity to chose different paths at an early stage. However, the reform is just like a castrated bull being commissioned to be fruitfull.

One would have thought that the task force would have suggested that we go the German way and entrench vocational education and shape our economy to a manufacturing hub, but that is not what they suggested. It just makes a mention of vocational education, and seeks not to vocationalize the basic education .

Nations all over the world are reforming their curriculums by deploying resources to aspects that will give them comparative advantages over the other countries. Our curriculum reforms try to do the impossible. To deploy unavailable resources to a wide area of sectors and hence, therefore, in the end, achieve nothing.

What stops this task from reforming this curriculum to focus on IT and business skills or making Kenya a manufacturing hub. Hence giving this Nation a comparative advantage and utilizing the minimal resources we have to our benefit.

It's envisioned that our infrastructure will grow like mushrooms overnight and schools will have enough classrooms to accommodate junior and senior high. It avoids hiring quality or human resource retrain. It chooses to use the available human resources in both junior and senior high which will just burden the teachers. In the end, transferring the problems of large class sizes and overcrowding to junior and senior high.

The reforms behave like an ostrich hiding its head in the sand when it comes to what constitutes reforms and that is pedagogical reforms. It's evaded such reforms like a plaque and remains noncommittal on any changes there. What changes will occur in training and class sizes to ensure knowledge and skills is truly impacted.

The task force ought to have familiarized themselves with the economy of this country. Then craft a curriculum that will focus on for example IT, and deploy our resources by ensuring proper IT skills are impact with quality and right human resources. It then we can have enough strength to embrace other economic sectors and entrench then in our cureiculum. These reforms will fail for the reason that, they seek to carry a heavy financial and resource load that they can't handle.

East Africa Education.

IT'S A CATASTROPHE!!!!

This education crisis is without a doubt mishandled and devoid of leadership. Private schools especially those renting space have permanently closed and will never be revived. Class size will be smaller that is without a doubt.

One thing emerges, and that is, there will be fewer schools. The cabinet secretary did not lay out a strategy of how this will be handled. He chose the easier route of buying more time.

Many students will drop out and will never see the doors of a classroom again. Some will give up and venture into other things. There are those who will have desire but the odds will be aganist them.

The minister needs to be candid on several issues.

1. What will happen to those who will miss a place in school in January, if the class size will be 15 to 20?

2. If the opening will be phased, will that translate to some pupils and students going back in 2022?

3. Boarding schools might not be there anymore, what will happen to students already studying far away from their native homes?

Unless he acts now, I won't be suprised when january comes and students are told that their chance to study can only be available in 2024.

East Africa Education.

THE TRAGEDY OF EDUCATION IN KENYA

In his latest address the CS- Education indicated that schools will be opened next year. Yes one can agree with the reasons and the intent for such a move, but as one Educationist pointed out, the tragedy for education is policy makers who dictate policy and plans yet they have never stepped inside a classroom.

It's the same case with this policies and strategies that the CS laid out. The plan to open schools on January is devoid of innovation and courage at a time the education sector really need to demonstrate the above traits.

The root of all this is the lip surface governments give to the education sector in Africa. They never tap on the innovation and courage of the young people. They deem it as a sector that serves as a dumping ground for older generations.

In countries where innovation and courage has been embraced, students calender will not be interrupted and they will be in school even during this pandemic.

It would have been prudent to allow the candidate class to resume, and see the weaknesses of the infrastructure. Come January and all grades resume learning.One infected person can bring a nightmare to them if their fear is the number of infections. Unless they work on the infrastructure now. January will still find them unprepared.

This academic year shouldn't be lost. The government should dig deeper and find the courage and innovation to do otherwise.

E.K East Africa Education.

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JOBS WILL NEVER BE CREATED BY CURRICULUMS.

It's not the work of curriculums to create jobs. That is bestowed upon other institutions and not educational institutions. To claim that you will reduce the number of students going to universities and increase those taking TVET courses because there are technical jobs available, is to peddle snake oil to the young minds in this country.

Since a cliche was coined in this country that TVET is the way to go, nobody has ever presented solid data showing that those who went to TVETs indeed secured jobs compared to those with degrees.

To deal with the unemployment issue among graduates and even those with TVETs, let's focus our energy on those with the power to create jobs.

It doesn't matter how hot or marketable your course is, if an economy is not creating jobs, you will be jobless. It still doesn't matter how skilled you are, you will be jobless.

It's the economy that needs revival not the education sector. It's those institutions responsible for ensuring that jobs are created that need blame and retooling.

E.K East Africa Education.

THE HIGH RISK TEACHERS

The teaching profession has teachers who are either asthmatic, heart conditions, immuno compromised conditions, liver and kidney diseases, and diabetic conditions. These teachers are at a very high risk of dying from covid 19. Therefore as we ponder on reopening schools we must think about these teachers.

Nations are considering early retirement for those who are almost retiring or redeploying them to jobs where they have less exposure.

It will be a big mistake if we don't come up with solutions of how to handle them locally. It's imperative they be redeployed too and early retirement for those near the age of retirement. However this decision should be left for those gallant teachers to make. Choice however should be made available to them.

E.k East Africa Education.

SOCIAL DISTANCE CLASSROOM IN GERMANY

Reopening schools

As the days go by, the government has to reopen the schools but things will not be the same again.

First the reopening can only be gradual, they can only begin with the senior class in each level both primary and secondary. Once they report back to school drastic changes have to be made in the way activities are carried out.

The class sizes have to be smaller, it's not debatable anymore. The class size should not be more than 20. This will force the schools to use half of the available classes to accommodate once stream.

Hand washing facilities must be installed in classes, dinning areas and entrance to the schools. Temperature checks must be in place at the school gate to check the temperature of all students and staff entering the school.

Conducting classes in the field can also be introduced. It can be a good practice to ensure that contact is reduced and that students and pupils conduct their classes in low risk areas.

A health officer must be present in any school, to guide and be on stand by in case of any emergency. Teacher training is key and important to ensure that they are prepared to handle teaching in this new environment.

Resuming schools will be more than just a mere order to resume. Preparations and careful planning is needed.

E.K.East Africa Education