There is a collective sigh of relief as Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), in consultation with the Ministry of Education, freshly streamlines the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learning areas to reduce the workload on learners and teachers.
The learning areas in Pre-Primary (PP1–PP2) will remain as they are. They are Language Activities, Mathematics, Creative Activities, Environmental Activities, and Religious Instructions.
Learning areas in Lower Primary (Grade 1-3) have been reduced from 9 to 7, while the number of lessons has dropped to 31 from 35 per week.
In Upper Primary (Grade 4, 5, and 6), the learning areas have been reduced from 10 to 8, while the lessons have reduced from 40 to 35 per week, including Pastoral Care.
Agriculture has been combined with Home Science to make a subject called Agriculture and Nutrition.
In Junior School, the learning areas have been reduced from 14 to 9, and all nine core subjects will be taken by all learners. The lessons have dropped from 45 to 40, including the Pastoral Programme.
According to the circular signed by Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang sent to all directors of education and to be shared with all head teachers, the rationalization of learning areas in Senior School is ongoing and will be issued later.
The decision followed the recommendation of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER) that KICD rationalizes the number of learning areas and curriculum designs.
The PWPER also recommended the alteration of design in terms of scope and integration of subjects within learning areas, gaps, content overload, and overlap in Basic Education.
By Amos Kerich
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