Failure by the Ministry of Education and county governments to collaborate effectively during the rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system at the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) level has been cited as a major contributor to the challenges currently facing the programme.
Education experts argue that the introduction of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum overlooked the complex nature of teacher preparedness for curriculum reform. Critical areas such as prior teacher training, pedagogical understanding, access to learning resources, and motivational support were inadequately addressed during the transition.
Researchers who conducted a study on CBE implementation in rural pre-primary schools in Embu County several years after the curriculum’s launch found that low teacher competency significantly undermined effective implementation of the system.
The study established that many ECDE teachers lacked sufficient understanding of CBE assessment methods, experiential learning approaches, and curriculum design. Similar concerns had earlier been raised by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
Educationists further observed that although some teachers embraced CBE enthusiastically, their ability to implement it effectively was hampered by inadequate exposure to child-centred teaching strategies.
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Experts maintain that successful curriculum reforms require sustained pedagogical mentorship and continuous professional training for ECDE teachers; elements they say were not fully integrated into the rollout strategy.
Several recommendations aimed at strengthening CBE implementation, particularly in disadvantaged regions, also appear to have been ignored, according to education researchers.
Three Kenyatta University scholars — Ongang’a Hudson Ouko, Emily A. Nyakiti and Wanjohi Githinji , are now calling for further studies into pre-primary educators’ perceptions regarding the future success of CBC implementation.
The researchers recommend that the Ministry of Education and county governments invest in continuous, inclusive, and practical in-service training for ECDE teachers, particularly on CBE pedagogy and assessment methods.
They also urged the development of context-specific training modules tailored to the realities facing rural and semi-urban ECDE centres, where infrastructure challenges remain widespread.
According to the scholars, regular review and evaluation of the curriculum could positively impact learners if accompanied by equitable distribution of CBE-aligned learning materials, including lesson plans, activity books, and assessment tools.
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Some schools, they noted, have made significant infrastructural improvements through partnerships with private sector players, including banks and the Safaricom Foundation, which has supported the construction of modern classrooms and provision of quality furniture.
The researchers, however, stressed that such support remains critical, especially in public schools where county government funding for ECDE infrastructure and learning materials is still insufficient.
They further recommended strengthening the role of Curriculum Support Officers (CSOs) to provide school-based mentorship and follow-up training, as well as establishing teacher collaboration platforms to allow educators to share CBC implementation strategies.
The scholars also called for the recruitment of additional ECDE teachers to address large class sizes, particularly in overcrowded public schools. Engagement of assistant teachers and caregivers to support CBC activities in low-resource centres was also proposed.
The researchers concluded that debate over whether CBE is fully achieving its intended objectives in Kenya remains unresolved, adding that more targeted studies are needed to identify the successes, challenges, and opportunities shaping CBC-CBE implementation.
They observed that as CBC shifts focus from merely nurturing talent to emphasising practical learning outcomes and application of skills, the perspectives of early childhood educators will remain critical in shaping the future of the system.
By Robert Nyagah
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