Proposed new curriculum heralds changes for universities

Higher learning institutions in Kenya may be required to transform their current education systems in accordance with a proposed new education curriculum aimed at producing employable graduates, expected to be rolled out next year.

According to the Basic Education Curriculum Framework, a university degree will take three years while college education, technical and vocational training will last for two years. This is unlike in the current system where the diploma course takes three years while a university degree takes at least four years.

The new system, which seeks to replace the current 8-4-4 that has been in place for 32 years, focuses on skills instead of knowledge. It is phased as follows: two years of pre-school, six years of primary school, six years of high school, and three years of tertiary or university education (2-6-6-3).

The Ministry of Education says it is proposing to change the curriculum in order to realign the education sector with the Kenya Vision 2030 and Constitution of Kenya 2010.

In August the Ministry of Education plans to hold a national conference on curriculum reforms to review the progress of the ongoing national piloting of the curriculum that will determine whether the government should go ahead and roll it out.

As per the new framework, students will advance from three years of senior secondary school level with specialisations in specific courses based on their abilities to join universities or vocational training colleges.

The new system scraps the national exam for students seeking admission into universities. In the new curriculum, students will enrol in universities based on the results of continuous assessment tests. School pupils will pursue studies in one of the three pathways that include arts and sports science, social sciences or science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“There will be no selection of students to join these courses by the universities; the schools will have assessed the students in the areas of specialisation and if the students pass to join university they are referred to the right university offering the course they wish to pursue,” said Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Deputy Director Dr Samwel Obudho.

Mathematics, English and science subjects will, however, be mandatory in all pathways.

Courses offered in teacher training colleges will take three years and lead to the award of a diploma in education. Currently, the courses run for two years and students are awarded certificates in teacher education.

Obudho told University World News the government is switching to the new curriculum based on reports, such as the national education report of 2008, that indicates that Kenyan universities are producing graduates that are not fit for the national job market.

“The report highlighted that the current education system is focused on examination results rather than skills development; therefore the need for reforms,” said Dr Obudho, adding that universities will have time to adapt to the change since the new curriculum is to be rolled out in phases.

“Universities have to adapt to a changing world where students will need to learn throughout their lives,” he said.

He said that universities will be required to meet new demands from the Ministry of Education and the Central Bureau of Statistics in terms of new pedagogical approaches, innovation, creativity, adoption and adaptation of scientific and technological changes for the benefits of Kenyans.

The new education framework also focuses on increased partnerships as a critical element in the transformation of higher education. Institutions will also be required to introduce values such as responsibility, respect, excellence; and guiding principles such as opportunity, excellence and diversity. They will also have to introduce theoretical approaches such as instructional design theory, cultural theory and intelligence theory in their courses.

The new system has received criticism from university lecturers who have raised doubts over its effectiveness as well as the rushed manner in which it is being implemented.

Maureen Olel, lecturer and head of the education department at Maseno University, said there was no comprehensive baseline survey or situation analysis to inform the review of the Kenyan system, which is where everyone, including university stakeholders, could have been fully involved.

Anthony Sang, chairman of the department of curriculum, instruction and educational management at Egerton University, said the competence-based system will only be successful if rolled out in a systematic and stable manner rather than the rushed way it is being done currently.

“My biggest concern is the removal of the national examination which is used to place students into the universities. It is likely that some students will be placed in the wrong courses. Also, the content of the curriculum has been compromised a lot which is likely to affect the quality of education at the university level,” Sang said.