By Charles Ouma
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Busia County has condemned those who have moved to court seeking orders to disband the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) education system.
The Branch’s Executive Secretary Mophat Okisai has decried the move saying it is aimed at derailing benefits of the system.
According to him, a lot of time and resources have been used to nurture the new system and vehemently opposed any attempts to do away with it.
“I learnt with shock the move by some Kenyans who had gone to court to have CBC done away with. We have spent over seven years nurturing CBC and we cannot afford to scrap it. They say when you go to the bathroom, you must take a shower,” he said.
Speaking to Education News from his office in Busia town, the Executive Secretary urged those opposed to the system to give proposals on how best it can be improved rather having it scrapped off.
“The first candidates who will join junior secondary are expected to sit for their exams in three months’ time. That means that the CBC ship has already sailed. What each one of us is supposed to do therefore is to suggest how the system can be improved.” he added.
Esther Ang’awa, a lawyer and parent moved to court to challenge implementation of CBC claiming that it violated various constitutional provisions including public participation where parents and teachers who are major stakeholders were not involved by the government before it rolled out the new system.
She sued Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the National Assembly and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i arguing that teachers were ill-prepared and that implementation of the new curriculum would harm children’s future.
However, in their separate replies, the accused with the support of the National Parents Association (NPA) wanted the court to dismiss the case, a prayer that the court dismissed.
Allowing former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Nelson Havi to inherit the case, judges Hedwig Ong’udi, Antony Mrima and Antony Ndung’u said the CBC suit raised matters of great public interest, adding that the suit will determine the well-being and future of the Kenyan child.
They observed that the petition challenges the authenticity of the CBC education system, which the petitioner claims is burdensome to students and parents.
“The suit raises serious constitutional issues which should be synthesized, articulated, digested and adjudicated before a determination is rendered,” they ruled.
