MAGOHA REVEALS HOW CBC WILL AFFECT NATIONAL SCHOOLS

The government is considering classifying senior secondary schools based on courses they will offer under the new curriculum, Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has said.

Prof Magoha hinted yesterday that some national schools may be picked to exclusively offer three main courses covering Humanities and Arts, Sports Science as well as Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), since they are already well established and have better infrastructure.

Senior Secondary Schools under the new curriculum will cover Grades 10 to 12.

“We are going into a new system where at Senior Secondary, we will be having pathways for three years.

There are those very well established institutions that we might suggest will have the three pathways.

Others with two pathways will be mainly day and smaller boarding schools,” said Magoha.

Speaking in Nyeri the CS said schools would be classified based on their ability to provide the STEM courses.

“Perhaps schools with three pathways can be classified as national. In order to do so, you must have very good facilities in the likes of Kenya High, Kapsabet, Alliance Boys and Girls,” Magoha explained.

He continued: “I will not be there but as a professor I have to reason. But there will be a dichotomy where there are those schools allowing two pathways and those with three.”

A CBC taskforce report stated that the proposals are that 60 per cent of learners at Senior Secondary will pursue four tracks in the STEM pathways.

Remaining 25 per cent of learners will pursue Languages and Social Sciences while 15 per cent will be in the Sports Science, Performing and Visual Arts.

Placement to Senior Secondary will be based on formative and summative assessments in Junior Secondary and learners career choices.

All the current 10,359 secondary schools will host both Junior and Senior Secondary levels.

Ministry will identify schools that can host the three main courses progressively and enhance their infrastructural capacity.

Respective learners

CBC group will transition to Senior Secondary in 2026 and due to the increase in the number of learners, schools will require additional infrastructure and human resource.

“Given the projections, the existing 10,359 secondary schools will require at least two additional classrooms to absorb those learners in 2026.

However, the government will have to establish more secondary schools in regions where there are shortages of institutions,” states the CBC taskforce report.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development will be expected to implement a career guidance programme to prepare learners for choice of pathways and tracks in Senior Secondary.

At the same time, the existing 35 Special Needs Education secondary schools can be designated to cater for both Junior and Secondary for tracks respective learners with special needs can pursue in the three pathways.

Magoha made the remarks as he said construction of Junior Secondary classrooms has progressed well.

He said the first complete classroom will be commissioned today in Siaya.

Story Courtesy People Daily