During a recent appearance on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show early Monday, the political economist highlighted the disparities in institutions’ capabilities to facilitate the CBC.
Billow expressed hope that the CBC would usher in a new era of education, but he cautioned against inequalities similar to those observed under the previous 8-4-4 system.
“I hope the CBC will be different depending on what we have been told. There are institutions which have tools necessary for the CBC; those things will create the inequalities we have seen in the 8-4-4,” he said.
Joining the discussion, economist and University of Nairobi lecturer Dr. Joy Kiiru echoed Billow’s sentiments. She stressed the importance of the new curriculum offering an education that doesn’t discriminate based on a student’s economic background.
Dr. Kiiru noted the resource-intensive nature of the CBC, particularly in rural areas, and questioned how many students had access to the tools required for assessments that relied on platforms like YouTube and Google.
“We know that the teaching of the CBC has not been the same in the rural and urban areas; it is a resource intense curriculum. How many kids have the luxury of doing assessments that would require them to use YouTube and Google?” she posed.
In addition to these concerns, Dr. Kiiru raised the issue of children’s eviction from Mau forest just before their exams, questioning the Government’s timing and its impact on students.
On a more optimistic note, Tax Expert Alex Kanyi expressed confidence in the CBC, highlighting its focus on skills rather than just knowledge.
He stated that the CBC will help identify students’ talents early on, preparing them for the future.
“This system is being pushed as a skills – based system as opposed to a knowledge based system. There’s hope that talents will be identified quite early and students will be prepared for the future,” he remarked.
“We hope that soon, we will be able to see the difference between those who went through 8-4-4 and those going through CBC.”
As Kenya’s education system undergoes the transformation, over 1.4 million candidates will be taking their KCPE exams, with approximately 1.2 million tackling the KPSEA exams.
The examination process is already underway across the country, with Education Ministry officials and exam supervisors ensuring a smooth start at exam collection centres.