All encyclopaedias that schools are demanding are fake, says KICD boss

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prof Charles Ong’ondo has maintained that revision encyclopaedias have never been approved by the country’s curriculum developer.

Prof Ong’ondo told Education News that the encyclopedias which are being published by different companies are just a duplication of the materials from the textbooks approved by KICD.

“They have never been approved in the first place. All of them simply duplicate what already exists in the approved textbooks,” said Ong’ondo, warning the publishers who will go against the ban that they will have themselves to blame for losses.

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On approval stamps that appear on these books, Ong’ongo said they are fake as the publishers have never been authorized to use KICD’s official accreditation. He pointed out that parents should raise such issues through the Parents Association

“That is why we have Parents Association. The parents should raise such matters through the PA. On the stamp, some publishers just add the tag “Approved by KICD” even when they are not, especially on those encyclopaedias,” Ong’ondo revealed.

A while ago, KICD took issue with the demands by most schools that children must have the books, with Ong’ondo advising parents that they are not a requirement in the curriculum.

The position he now takes comes after schools persist in their demand on parents, the encyclopaedias gaining popularity with the advent of the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

This is good news to most parents who have been complaining of increased burden under the CBC since a number of the books are sold at between Ksh800 and Ksh2,000, depending on the publisher and the grade.

By Roy Hezron

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