The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) on Thursday, December 1 criticized the interim report by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).
Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori said that the working group decided to negate the essence of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) but only lacks the confidence to say as much.
"Kuppet is deeply disappointed by the recommendations made in the Interim Report of the PWPER," Misori said in a statement.
On the very important question of a transition to Junior Secondary School (JSS), he said the working party created more problems than the one it sought to solve.
"Rather than pronounce itself on how the transition to JSS should be handled, it has falsely directed the Ministry of Education to “provide the necessary guidelines.”
"As a matter of fact, the Ministry had provided guidelines on this issue after its full consideration of the circumstances.
"The working party cannot make a recommendation and skirt the issue of how it is to be executed," the union said.
Similarly, Akelo said maintaining JSS in current primary schools beats the purpose of CBC.
He said that primary schools have no human or physical infrastructure to deliver the curriculum at this level of education.
Kuppet accuses state of dishonesty
Kuppet said the country has reverted back to the 8-4-4 system but only lacks the honesty to state the obvious.
"It is for that purpose that the working group has declared the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) redundant," Misori states.
Kuppet notes that Kenya will keep learners in primary schools longer than anywhere else in the world, further delaying their academic, social, and emotional development.
According to Kuppet, eight years under the 8-4-4 system was already too long, but now the working party has added a new class to primary school.
Misori has also said that the recommendation that an extra classroom and laboratory be built in every primary school is a half measure that will soon prove futile.
"A laboratory is not merely a building. Equipping them has been a challenge even for secondary schools, which are better funded.
"At the same time, the government had invested substantial resources in building classrooms and laboratories at the secondary level in anticipation of CBC –resources which will now lie unused," he noted.
Kuppet said it will now wait for the working party’s full report to see the reasoning behind these recommendations.
"We remain open to interacting with the team and all education stakeholders to deepen reforms in the education system in the interest of our nation," he added.
