Eunice Owino
In this article, Eunice explores the principles that are central to Kenya’s competency-based curriculum. She also looks at the importance of public participation in rolling out this curriculum since 2017.
Kenya’s competency-based curriculum (CBC) replaced an education system criticised for being too theory-focused and exam-oriented. There was concern about the pressure created by unnecessary competition and the related stress felt by learners. The new competency-based education system aims to harness children’s creativity and talents. The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), mandated to carry out curriculum-related issues, led the development and approval of curriculum content and resources.
However, since the CBC was rolled out in Kenya, it has been the focus of significant debate. A key issue is how the country’s citizens were involved in the new curriculum development.
Public participation in Kenya
Before devolution in Kenya, development processes were centralised, and information was transmitted through a top-down approach from the capital city of Nairobi to the people. The decisions agreed upon in Nairobi were implemented through the government machinery via provincial and district administration. However, the 2010 constitution embedded the principle of public participation in the development of both national and county-level policies as postulated in the following articles:
- Article 118 specifically emphasises the importance of citizen involvement in policy-making and implementation to strengthen and deepen good governance, promote transparency, and foster accountability.
- Likewise, Article 196 (1) highlights how County Assemblies are required to incorporate public participation before passing any bill or act at the Assembly.
- The Fourth Schedule Part 2 (14) emphasises the need for counties to ensure and coordinate the participation of communities in governance at the local level.
Given the support for public participation in the constitution, it is important to ask whether the CBC went through processes of effective public participation. Were all relevant stakeholders adequately involved in the design and implementation of the CBC?
Public participation in the CBC context
Public interest in any new policy can never be underestimated. For example, the reception of the CBC was the topic of many conversations and debates right from the start. Criticism started in 2016 when a pilot project was carried out. It continued through the launch in 2017 and now under Kenya’s latest presidential regime. Just after the new president’s inauguration in September 2022, there was a public debate calling for him to abolish the new curriculum. This forced the new government to set up a 49-bench Education Reform Taskforce to investigate the issues raised.
The task force was able to meet and interact with stakeholders in all 47 counties in Kenya. Some of the feedback they received focused on inadequate teachers and learning resources. There was a call to develop teacher competency to equip them to handle the learning requirements of the CBC. There were demands for resources to meet the scope of the new subjects, and for the development of curriculum content and infrastructure to support CBC goals. Finally, stakeholders described a lack of parent and other stakeholder engagement as well as other issues.
Parental concerns focused mainly on the cost implications of the CBC. They stressed the financial requirements for parents to support resource development and the time they needed to invest in supporting their children with homework. Parents and other community stakeholders felt that they were not consulted when the curriculum was developed, and that the new education system was rushed into place without clear implementation structures and strategies.
It could be said that there was a lack of guidelines developed for public participation in the development of the CBC, but questions remain about what exactly constitutes adequate public participation:
Which stakeholders need to be involved and what mechanisms are required to ensure their involvement?
How should public participation be facilitated? Should it be county-based or only done at national levels?
For the public participation component of policy development to be effective, these questions need to be considered, especially for the set-up of a major policy that informs a new school system.
Another critical factor relates to barriers in communication. Kenya is largely rural and has low levels of literacy in the adult population in these areas. Unfortunately, many of the channels used for public participation have focused on print media such as gazette notices. Many stakeholders do not have access to newspapers, especially in their indigenous languages, nor can they afford them.
Members of marginalised communities, such as those with disabilities are further marginalised and often not included in face-to-face stakeholder meetings when they are facilitated. Additionally, parents need to support their children’s learning, for example with homework, yet they cannot comprehend the curriculum content or the assignments. Some are busy working long hours to support their families.
Strategies to improve public participation
The criticisms of the CBC have highlighted the need for clear guidelines on public participation and the principles of participation:
- Developing a standardised guide on public participation is critical. This needs at least to define the nature, mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation processes, and number of participants.
- The subject matter to be discussed must be simplified and clarified for all to understand.
- There must be open dialogue and enhanced communication channels right from the announcements to the discussions, using local languages and local media channels.
- Effective inclusion of all special groups like women, people with disabilities, youth, various religious groups, and ethnic minorities in the locality is vital.
- There should be localised consultation meetings, facilitated in collaboration with local chiefs who manage the smaller units of governance known as locations and sub-locations.
Continuous civic education is required to build the citizens’ capacity on public participation.
Ultimately, the government needs to improve access to information for all, strengthen civic education within and beyond schools, and develop structures for stakeholder engagement and empowerment.
Citizens are the pillars of society and likewise should be pillars in the development and rollout of any major policy if it is to be effectively translated into practice. Their input is critical as they contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and learning through their feedback. More importantly, citizens can hold the duty bearers to account, making their participation in policy development imperative.
Eunice was county Chief Officer of Education in Homa Bay during the implementation of the pilot phase of CBC in Kenya. She is a PhD student in Development Studies at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She can be contacted through the EENET office.