No correlation between curriculum and schools unrest
About a fortnight ago, a purported secondary school student attributed the indiscipline that gripped high school last year to several factors.
In a viral tik tok video clip, the purported student of Kitombe Secondary School, named Eric, claimed learners found the content of their curriculum meaningless and called for teaching of skills learners will use to earn a living.
He argued that students have diverse abilities and talents. That is correct. He, however, added that it was unfair to give a varied group of students similar knowledge. That is incorrect.
The purpose of the 12 years of basic education is to nurture and cultivate certain specific powers of the mind, heart and the body, which have application in all human endeavours.
All human beings have innate powers or potential. The powers or potential are reposed in the mind, heart and the body.
It is the purpose of the school system to identify and then nurture the diverse abilities, aptitudes and talents.
It is the reason why all children need the same nurturing of intellect, the heart and the body. This is because all children need this to survive as an adult.
Society needs many kinds of thinkers and workers, just like there are many kinds of aptitudes, abilities and talents to be trained.
The secondary curriculum caters for the learning needs of all students. It gives students with different aptitudes, interests and abilities full play to their potential.
It also provides greater learning space and widens students’ knowledge base for all-round development.
Upon entry into secondary level under the 8-4-4 system, all students study a broad and balanced curriculum.
In Forms One and Two, the students study mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Maths, Science, the arts and vocational subjects.
The exposure is meant to help them to discover what abilities and interests they have and study those subjects in line with abilities and inclination upon entry in Form Three. This is the reason there are optional subjects in Form Three.
The curriculum students are exposed to in secondary is for that reason, broad enough to cater for the differences in talents and to anticipate the variety of opportunities open to the students after completing the secondary education programme.
Knowledge prescribed by the curriculum is not useless. The body of knowledge designed for high school provides the foundation for advanced education and training at tertiary and university levels.
It is a good foundation for students with the ability and inclination to join careers in medicine, engineering and others available in the job market.
An American historian and educator Arthur E Bestor, observed: “Simple forms of knowledge can accomplish simple tasks, complex forms of knowledge can accomplish complex tasks.
One does not need higher maths to build a workable waterwheel or an oxcart, but one does need it to build a dynamo or a jet plane.”
The quality and profoundness of knowledge contained in secondary education prepares students for the complex tasks that are commensurate with people who have had secondary education experience.
It provides the foundation stone for successful study of all manner of courses and careers.
One of the defining features of an education system worth its name, is curriculum coherence, which ensures all the learning experiences students go through are well organised and purposefully designed to facilitate learning.
A highly motivated student will find the learning experience meaningful intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.
Interaction with curriculum content stretches the mind of a learner, and in the process, develops the ability for inquiry, critical thinking and rational judgement.
Students simultaneously build a firm foundation for further education and training at higher levels.
Those who don’t get into the higher levels, simply get into the bustles of life, more rational, with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes for the development of the self and the nation.
The curriculum in basic and high school provides four things for learners—it provides students with a broad knowledge base, for whatever careers they take after school; it provides them with an aptitude for life-long learning and the readiness to venture into new frontiers of knowledge whenever necessary; it helps them to appreciate the complexities and ambiguities of life; and it helps them to discover their abilities, talents and inclinations thereby enabling them to make choices about their postsecondary life.
The secondary education experience is meaningful to motivate learners. The learning thereof is intelligent interaction with the curriculum and not cramming as ‘Eric’ claimed.
There is no such requirement for students to wake up at 2pm to cram content because students gain nothing by cramming.
In itself the 8-4-4 syllabus has nothing to do with the students’ indiscipline. There is practically no correlation.
The curriculum is an excuse rather than the cause for the students’ unruliness. —The writer is Communications Officer, Ministry of Education
