Uhuru Scraps Final Primary School Exams To Ensure 100% Transition Into Secondary

President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared that the government will not subject grade six pupils to national examinations before they are allowed to proceed to secondary school.

This is to ensure 100 per cent transition to secondary school.

“Grade 7,8,9 should be domiciled in our secondary schools. There will be no examinations in standard six to ensure 100 pc transition to secondary schools, ” the president said during the national educational conference on the new curriculum held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).

The conference on education standards in Kenya,  has brought together more than 2,000 delegates from across the country and international organisations.

The new 2-6-3-3-3 Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will replace the 8-4-4 system.

This is the second time the country is adopting a new curriculum since the 1985 change-over from the 7-4-2-3 system.

According to the President, education should be able to equip learners with skills much needed in the modern world.

Read: Change Of Curriculum Inevitable, Education CS Magoha Says Amid Boycott Calls

“We need an education that is practical and hands-on, education which nurtures creativity and innovation. One that needs to encourage a problem-solving approach to challenges facing our communities.

“We are faced with the fast-paced growth of the global economy that includes rapid shifts in technology which require a workforce with relevant skills and it is in this regard that I’m committed to facilitating the reforms in our education system, ” said President Kenyatta.

In developing the country’s education standards, the head of state said teachers must be willing to join the government to better the future of the young generation.

“Teachers should be the greatest warriors to help us reshape our curriculum to ensure our children become achievers. We should train and impart knowledge that our children can use to become positive contributors to themselves and the society, ” he said.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is, however, opposed to the new curriculum.

Read Also: Education CS Magoha Issues Warning Over 100 ‘Funny’ University Courses

During the Friday event,  Knut leaders were blocked from entering the conference hall for lack of accreditation.

In the recent past, the union chairman, Wilson Sossion, has accused the Ministry of Education of using shortcuts to rush through the CBC curriculum.

He argues that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) failed to follow the international standard of curriculum reform.

“KICD should have resigned by now because they are not independent. This process is a short-cut being driven by cartels in the ministry, publishers and foreigners. The ministry, TSC and KICD are just flower girls in the whole process,” Sossion said in an interview with a local media.

Sossion and his team were strongly opposed to the CBC training program in April. He urged teachers to resist it.

Read Also: Education CS Magoha Puts On Hold Establishment Of More Public Universities

However, Education cabinet Secretary George Magoha stated that the change of the new curriculum is inevitable.

“When I decide to do something, I shall do it with all the energy that I have if I believe it is the right thing to do.

“Let us stop wasting time and concentrate on the goal; the goal is Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC),” Magoha said.

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