Didmus Barasa: CBC teachers have been feasting on chicken meant for learning
Kilimili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has jumped into the bandwagon pushing for the abolishment of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) eliminated in schools.
Mr Barasa says teachers have been using CBC as an avenue to milk parents of their resources, including feasting on chicken that learners are asked to bring to school for learning activities.
“Children have slaughtered their parents’ chicken. Teachers tell their students to come with chickens so as to study the inner parts and after studies, the teacher goes home with the chicken. Now there are no hens in homesteads,” Mr Barasa said.
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The MP’s sentiments come amid calls from some parents to President William Ruto to abolish the CBC curriculum, saying it has grey areas that needed to be addressed for its success. Both parents and teachers complain that the new system is burdening the learners and parents with extra costs and assignments.
Additionally, parents in the low-income brackets have in recent past decried the ‘numerous hidden costs’ of keeping their children in school under the education system that emphasizes practical skills rather than theory.
However, President Ruto, during his inauguration speech, said that a robust discussion was ongoing concerning the new curriculum.
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“Public participation is critical in this matter. I will establish an education reform task force in the office of the President, which will be launched in the coming weeks,” he announced.
Early this week, President Ruto said that the government shall establish an Education Reform Task Force that shall take in the views of Kenyans on the curriculum.
The CBC is one of the former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legacy projects in education. Its pioneer class will transition to junior secondary school in January next year.
The CBC, under the 2-6-3-3 system, was introduced in 2017 and replaced the 8-4-4 system, which had been in place since 1985.
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