Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Dr Belio Kipsang has asked the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to plan for sector-specific stakeholder engagement on curriculum design for Senior School.
Addressing the 47th annual Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Conference and Exhibition today, Kipsang’ urged KICD to upload the curriculum design for Grade 10 in the website in the course of next week.
“I call upon KICD to upload the curriculum design for Grade 10 in the website next week. Principals and head teachers are then to ventilate and give their feedback on the design within the month of July,” he said.
Belio urged KICD to ensure that the design should be ready for adoption by August 2024, lauding this year’s conference theme “Pathway Learning: A Futuristic Approach to Education in Kenya” as timely and appropriate as it aligns with the ongoing reforms in the education sector, including the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Defining ‘Pathway’ learning as an educational paradigm that recognizes the diverse talents, interests and aspirations of learners, he said it offers multiple and personalized learning paths that give every learner an opportunity to pursue their uniqueness in life.
The PS highlighted the benefits of pathway learning, including that it tailors learning and education to individual student needs in recognition that not all students learn the same way, nor have the same career goals.
Promoting it as ensuring students are actively engaged and motivated to be involved in their learning and education, he said it also helps in the mastery of competencies as learners progress to the next level.
Similarly, he said, it ensures there is continuous assessment and feedback in schools, creating a holistic framework that prepares students for lifelong learning and life of work, as well as fostering a generation of innovative thinkers, skilled professionals, and responsible citizens.
He said that learners who are currently in Grade 8 will transition to Senior School (Grade 10) in 2026 and as a result they will be required to choose from three specialized pathways: Creative and Sports, Social Sciences, Pure Science, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The PS said that Grade 9 graduates will be placed in Senior School based on their interests, strengths, and future career aspirations.
He urged school principals to be vigilant as they are the ones who play a key role in the successful implementation of pathway learning by championing curriculum reforms and innovative teaching practices, as well encouraging teachers to embrace new methodologies within the school ecosystem.
He said they can do this by creating a supportive environment which fosters a culture that values diversity, inclusivity and lifelong learning, an environment where students feel safe to explore their interests and talents.
Advising them to engage with stakeholders like parents, industry and higher education institutions, he suggested that this will provide opportunities to students to gain practical skills and real-world experiences.
He encouraged them to introduce school-based quality assurance systems where the principal is the chief quality assurance and standards officer, who leads in overseeing the delivery of the curriculum and other aspects of the school relevant to the delivery of quality education to learners.
He assured that the pathway learning will succeed in Kenya as it has done well in other countries like Finland.
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