The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms had recommended that the Ministry of Education rationalise the number of learning areas across the various levels of basic education to eliminate duplication and overlaps.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development made the necessary consultations and in exercise of its statutory mandate under Section 4 of the KICD Act moved to rationalise the learning areas as recommended.

The rationalised learning areas were submitted in Parliament on Wednesday by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu in a report on the status of examination preparedness among other key issues.

Machogu said Pre-Primary school, that is PP 1 and 2 shall have their learning areas remain the same.

“The learning areas at this level are currently five (5); hence, they shall remain as they are until a review is undertaken,” the report read.

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The CS said Lower Primary ranging from Grade 1 to 3 have had their learning areas reduced from the current eight to seven.

He said the number of lessons will also be reduced from 35 to 31 per week, including the Pastoral Programme of Instruction.

Upper Primary school learners from Grades 4 to 6 will have their learning areas reduced from 10 to eight.

“The number of lessons to be reduced from 40 to 36 per week including a Pastoral Programme of Instruction,” Machogu said.

For Junior School, the learning areas are to be reduced from 14 to nine.

The number of lessons has also been reduced from 45 to 43 per week including the Pastoral Programme of Instruction.

Senior School’s learning areas have been reduced to seven.

“However, the curriculum designs for Senior School will be finalised once the process for Junior School is concluded,” Machogu said.

The Working Party recommended that KICD rationalise the learning areas after noting complaints from stakeholders about the high cost of the curriculum and the high number of learning areas.

KICD CEO Charles Ong’ondo acknowledged that people had raised concerns over the idea of scraping some subjects and learning areas in the Competence-Based Curriculum.

Ong’ondo said some people had fears that if some learning areas were scrapped, then learners would have fewer options to choose from when picking subjects for their career paths.

Speaking in an interview with Citizen TV on August 10, Ong’ondo said the institute was not scrapping learning areas but rather, rationalising them.

“Just to assure the country, what we are doing is not scrapping nor is it killing learning areas as some people have said. We are rationalising,” he said.

The KICD boss said one of the ways the institute is rationalising the curriculum is by looking at some learning areas which have related strands and sub-strands and accommodating them in one learning area.

“You look at a learning area in Junior School like health education and then you say there is a lot of overlap between some of the issues that we are dealing with in Health education that could be accommodated within the broader area of science,” he said.

He said the move to accommodate some learning areas in others is better than scrapping them off in totality.

“This makes sure that the critical competencies that learners are supposed to have are not lost. It also makes sure that we are still giving the learners adequate exposure to be able to choose the specific career pathways they want,” Ong’ondo said.

Parents having Grade 6 candidates have been cautioned against purchasing model test papers for the pioneer competency-based assessment exams to mark the end of primary school at grade six. The competency-based curriculum (CBC) exams are scheduled for November this year.

Already, there are business people selling models of the test papers for the summative assessment, which will account for 40 per cent of a learner’s score. The remaining 60 per cent will be obtained from formative assessments sat in Grades 4, 5 and 6.

It is the final score that will be used to place learners in junior secondary school (JSS), when the  pioneer class will be transiting in January 2023.

“Because learners are going to be assessed in Grade 6, there are people selling model papers supposedly for that grade. Do not buy them; they must be approved by KICD. We want to make this assessment as natural as possible, almost like what they do in school on a day-to-day basis,” said Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development chief executive Charles Ong’ondo.

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“Let parents expect a low stakes assessment because we already have 60 per cent of their ability through 20 marks from Grade 4, Grade 5 and Grade 6,” said Prof Ong’ondo.

According to Ong’ondo, the curriculum allows learners an opportunity to explore their potential and interests before choosing their preferred pathways in senior secondary school in JSS.

“This is consistent with the psychological age of these children. They are aged 12 or some of them who are a bit older will be 13, 14 and 15. Psychologically, that is the most volatile age for all human beings. They want to explore, in school you will see them excelling in sciences but next term their attention shifts to arts. It’s fine because it is an age of exploration,” Ong’ondo stressed.

Ong’ondo was speaking during the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) conference in Mombasa, where he said the CBC curriculum emphasises the achievement of demonstrable learning outcomes in every learner at different levels. At the pre-primary school level, CBC concentrates on giving learners interactive skills.

Teachers, curriculum developers and the education ministry have supported a move to prioritize chess games in the curriculum.

This follows a petition by Fred Sagwe and other teachers which sought the inclusion of chess games in the curriculum.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) CEO Charles Ongondo said the indoor game is part of the Competency-Based Curriculum.

However, Ongondo explained that the students are not compelled to play any of the games that it’s by choice.

“The curriculum provided an opportunity to learn and explore games so it is important to assure the country that these are already provided,” he said.

Ongondo was speaking during a senate education committee on Thursday.

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He urged the association of chess players to liaise with KICD to ensure the training offered to teachers is approved.

Senators raised concerns on how well teachers have been trained to take learners through the chess games.

Senate Education Committee Chairperson Alice Milgo hailed a number of institutions that have already taken up chess as a subject for learners.

Milgo said students have the freedom to select what indoor game is of their interest.

The Ministry of Education could not be represented in the webinar due to the ongoing KCSE exams.

Teachers Service Commission noted that teachers are generally trained for Physical Education and not specific games.

TSC Director of Quality Assurance Reuben Ndamburi said the issue with this inclusion is merely funding, which he said will be addressed by the Education Ministry.

“Just like any other sporting activity, chess is there in our schools, maybe the problem is just funding,” Ndamburi said.

However, Ndamburi reiterated that indoor exams are not extracurricular activities in the Competency-Based Curriculum.

In CBC games form part of the subject; Physical and Health Education which is a compulsory subject.

This subject aims at enabling the learner to acquire relevant practical knowledge, skills values and attitudes.

Ndamburi urged the chess stakeholders to liaise with the commission before training any teacher for the game.

“We want these chess associations to get authority from TSC so that we can have a rationale of planning so that in case a teacher is out for chess training, learning still continues,” Ndamburi said.

The petitioner, Fred Sagwe wanted the ministry of education to include chess in the school games calendar.

Sagwe said, with adequate funding, training and implementation of the game will be made possible.

“We have more than twenty teachers with international certificates in training chess and we would like the Ministry of education to help us,” Sagwe said.

The annual subscription of annual chess Kenya foundation is Sh1200 annually.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has urged parents to raise issues surrounding unsuitable assignments under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) with head teachers.

The institute, whose core functions is to conduct research and develop curricular and curriculum support materials also advised parents to report specific concerns to the Ministry of Education or other relevant agencies, if not addressed at the school level.

“Parents are empowered to raise any unsuitable homework with the head teachers of the schools initially; if not addressed, specific cases can be reported to KICD,” said the institute in a statement.

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The agency also urged parents to support children without having to do the work for them, even as it maintained that assignments should be within the abilities of pupils.

“Tasks involving undue costs to parents should be avoided. Show interest, provide basic needs including pencils, pens, ink, exercise books,” the KICD added.

Parents and guardians last week took to social media complaining that some assignments pupils carry home have tight deadlines and expensive.

According to KICD, the spirit of CBC is to leverage on readily available materials to facilitate learning, with parents and guardians encouraged to continue offering conducive environment for learners to link school tasks to their home environments.

The Education ministry has explained a child’s journey in CBC saying that between the ages of 1-3, they learn within family and in community.

At the age of 4 – 8 where learners are in Pre-Primary and lower primary school level, they master basic literacy, numeracy and life skills.

At the ages of 9–14, which covers upper primary and junior secondary, learners have the opportunity to identify individual talents, interests and potential.

At senior school which falls in the ages of 15-17, the Ministry explained that learners will have an opportunity to choose one of three pathways to master skills.

The three pathways are Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

KICD also explained that the country is moving from 8-4-4 system, where there has been disconnect between curriculum, content and the world of work where many learners exit school without skills for work and life.

It also explained the shift from a disconnect in realising national goals of education and disconnect with the needs of the 21st Century which is a knowledge and skill age that demands a new way of thinking.

According to KICD, the competency approach seeks to prepare learners for new possibilities as the 21st Century demands transferable skills.

“The competency-based approach seeks to produce a learner with competences to thrive now and in an increasingly changing world,” KICD explained.

KICD also said education needs to mold learners with values to uphold peace and national unity across the country.

“Value based education and parental empowerment and engagement are core pillars in the new curriculum.

The competency approach seeks to produce a learner who has character… it needs to produce citizens who are willing to think differently, be creative and try out new ideas to solve challenges,” KICD added.

KICD has assured that it has been documenting the feedback from various stakeholders including teachers.

“Assignments are coming up as a major concern. As we said, parents should not do the assignments on behalf of learners.

They should just guide them. Relevant players within KICD are reviewing the responses that touch on our mandate and taking appropriate interventions,” said the institute.

Last week, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi said he would file a petition challenging CBC in court, noting that his move had been driven by cries from parents, guardians and teachers.