WILL COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM WITHSTAND THE TEST OF TIME IN KENYA?

Abstract

 This research paper delved into the Competency Based Curriculum in Kenya (CBC). CBC is a new curriculum in Kenya that was introduced to solve serious shortcomings of the 8.4.4 system of education in Kenya. The 8.4.4 education system was introduced following Mackay’s commission recommendations. The system had been discredited due to dilution of its contents and a deviation from its original intent which led to an education system marred with rote learning and drilling of candidates. Previous studies indicated that there had been corruption in form one admission, teaching process, and examination administration. Unfortunately, corruption existed at different levels of the education hierarchy; those who were expected to safeguard the admission and examination process were the same people who compromised it. The result of this compromise was the production of incompetent graduates at different levels who had been only taught how to pass exams and the high employment rate in the country; many of these graduates didn’t have the required skills to be absorbed directly into the job market. Using reviewed literature, the study demonstrates that all the post-independent education curriculums were good; however, they suffered poor implementation and inadequate goodwill. Furthermore, this study underscores that CBC is a good curriculum, it is detailed and it requires enough resources to accurately implement. The CBC’s success will require hard work, resources, and discipline for it to succeed. Finally, this study demonstrates that if discipline does not prevail, there will be a possibility that the new curriculum will also be hijacked and infiltrated by the corrupt “cartels”. This study is important to the government, teachers, parents, and scholars.