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No exam at Grade 6 in new curriculum, directs Uhuru

Saturday, August 17th, 2019 00:00 | By
President Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo/Courtesy

The debate surrounding the transition from Grade Six has now been put to rest, after it was agreed that there will no examinations to move to the next level.

President Uhuru Kenyatta said the move was informed by the Government’s policy to facilitate 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school.

He settled the confusion about where Grades 7-9 will be domiciled saying it would be in junior secondary.

“The taskforce has amongst other things recommended that lower secondary, which is Grades 7-9 should now be domiciled in secondary schools and this because we have also insisted and has also been contained in the taskforce report that there will be no examinations in Grade 6 we will ensure that there will be 100 per cent transition from primary through to secondary schools,” said the President.

Uhuru observed that progress had been made in rolling out Grade 4 next year and Teachers the Service Commission (TSC) had already trained 113, 223 teachers from public and private schools, which he described as good progress.

He directed Education ministry to ensure instructional materials are available in schools by January next year.

The President urged Kenyans not to be discouraged by the challenges of implementing the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), saying it should serve as an inspiration.

He said the reforms, which are driven by the mission of nurturing every learner’s potential, would catalyse a major transformation in the education system.

The President was speaking during the third National Conference on Curriculum Reforms at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

He said transforming the country to an industrialised one would only be possible if education played its role, even as he insisted that reforms were necessary.

“We need education that is practical and hands-on, education which nurtures creativity and innovation, one that needs to encourage a problem-solving approach to challenges facing our communities and one that encourages youth to take advantage of opportunities available,” said Uhuru.

He said the country needed a curriculum that would manage diversity and enhance cohesion in addition to inculcating national values to the youth.

“Implementation of such education reforms will pose some challenges and to this end I seek your support to ensure consolidation of the gains of CBC and make it a world class curriculum.

Let us work together and arm our children with skills and nurture the talents God has given them as opposed to imposing on them what we think they should be,” added the President.

He said the Government was embarking on a process that would have myriad challenges but one that would reset the country’s growth trajectory and opportunities available.

The President acknowledged that the initial moments were bound to be trying for teachers but said the role they have played in the past in shaping children will be an inspiration to understand the effort they put in does not put to waste.

“For all teachers, it is a very disheartening thing to spend many years training a child and then see them turn out to be nothing, without hope and end up abusing drugs or criminals.” 

“Teachers should be the greatest warriors in assisting us to reform our curriculum to ensure that those children who have lost hope are able to regain hope and confidence that their future is bright and that there are opportunities for them... that is the dream of every teacher.”

He also took a swipe on parents who deny children an opportunity to nurture their talents and then force them to universities to study courses imposed on them.

“We are also at fault. In many instances... Look at the amount of pressure we put on our children to pass exams. Children are not even resting over the holidays due to tuition. The child does not have an opportunity to grow as a child.”

“Let us arm our children with skills and nurture their talents as opposed to imposing on them...We are faced with fast paced growth of the global economy that include rapid shifts in technology which require a workforce with relevant skills and it is in this regard that I’m committed to facilitating the reforms in our education system,” he said.

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