President William Ruto has promised Kenyans parents that he will create an education reform task force that will oversee public participation to resolve the issues raised about the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC)
Ruto expressed the plight of parents who are in limbo as the first batch of pupils transitions to junior secondary school during his inaugural speech on Tuesday, September 13. (JSS).
“Public participation is critical in this matter. I will establish an education reform task force in the presidency that will be launched in the coming weeks,” Ruto stated.
“The task force will be in line with the constitutional demands of public participation,” he added.
Among the key roles of the task force will be collecting all views from relevant stakeholders and working out a solution that benefits the parents.
Furthermore, the President noted that his government will work to ensure a smooth transition from the 8-4-4 to the CBC.
“We are particularly alive to the anxieties of parents on the twin transitions of the last 8-4-4 class and the first CBC class in January next year. I assure you that there will be a solution to the matter before then,” he explained.
Before the Supreme Court ruling on Monday, September 5, parents had urged Ruto to review the rollout of the curriculum. They decried the financial burden resulting from the demands of the curriculum.
“This CBC is a challenge for real because we are very broke. We can handle it but the Government should make some changes to make it bearable,” stated one of the parents.
Recently, the National Parents Association (NPA) had urged Ruto and his administration to retain the Education cabinet Secretary George Magoha to ensure a smooth transition of the first cohort of Grade 6 pupils to JSS.
The parents’ representatives led by Nicholas Maiyo advised the president that Magoha is the right man to guarantee the new curriculum is fulfilled.
Ruto’s assurance solidified Magoha’s plea to the new government to uphold the new curriculum. Magoha argued that it would have been difficult for the incoming administration to scrap the curriculum due to the amount pumped into the project.
“With 10 million children under CBC, no government is even going to consider removing the curriculum,” the CS declared.
