Education stakeholders in Tharaka Nithi County have pointed out the need to train teachers adequately for better implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
Presenting their views to the officials of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms at Chuka University, the stakeholders noted that the teachers needed to be well equipped for the curriculum.
Speaking during the public participation event, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Tharaka Nithi branch Secretary Njeru Mutani proposed that teachers be adequately trained for the new curriculum.
“Teachers should be trained adequately as it was done in the 8-4-4 system so that they can be well equipped for the new curriculum,” he said
Proposing that the teacher training be conducted during the official working hours and not over the weekends, Mutani also suggested that pupils yet to join junior secondary school remain in primary and the cadre be renamed senior primary school instead.
He argued that secondary schools do not have enough infrastructure to support a double intake adding that the grade six pupils are too young for secondary school.
“We have conducted a survey that indicates secondary schools are not adequately prepared to accommodate the young learners and the young pupils are also not psychologically prepared to join high school” Mutani argued.
Mutani also requested that all teachers including those of ECDE be employed under the Teachers Service Commission.
On his part, the Imam of Chuka Jamia Mosque Abdinasir Mugambi while requesting for the reduction of CBC school fees to make it affordable for all parents also pointed out the need to improve the infrastructures in the schools to modern appropriate standards.
Tharaka Nithi County Director of Education, Ms. Bridget Wambua noted there was need to employ more officers to ensure the curriculum is fully implemented.
She pointed out that the government needs to allocate more resources to enable the education department to deliver services more effectively and efficiently.
“We need more vehicles and drivers so we can navigate every sub-county. We currently only have one vehicle,” she divulged
Irene Kagendo Kwanywithia, a teacher of students with special needs at Ndangani special unit requested that a feeding program be introduced to the schools for children with special needs, adding that the number of teachers handling children with special needs should be increased and the curriculum improved.
Kwanywithia also requested the government to provide assistive devices to learners to enhance learning for the special needs children.
