AfriPulse
Former Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has weighed in on Kenya’s competency-based curriculum (CBC), arguing that the challenges facing the education system stem from poor execution rather than flaws in the curriculum itself.
Speaking during a public engagement, Matiang’i said CBC remains a progressive and well-structured education model, but the current administration has weakened its rollout through inconsistent policies and a lack of continuity. According to the former Cabinet Secretary, the government inherited a functional framework but failed to sustain the momentum needed to make it succeed.
“When our brothers and sisters came into government, they brought in confusion and are now blaming it on the failed model while they have failed in the implementation,” Matiang’i said.
Matiang’i faulted the government for abandoning groundwork laid by the previous administration. He noted that frequent leadership changes disrupted the transition to the new curriculum, leaving teachers, parents, and learners uncertain about what to expect from CBC.
He further explained that Kenya’s education reforms did not begin under the Jubilee administration but evolved from long-standing national development plans.
“Changing the system of education was not a [former] President [Uhuru] Kenyatta initiative; it was an idea from Vision 2030. That debate started during [former] President [Mwai] Kibaki’s time. The problem we have now is implementation, not CBC,” he stated.
Matiang’i also warned that political interference has complicated the CBC rollout. He said politicians have turned education reforms into campaign issues, leading to widespread misinformation and growing public mistrust of the curriculum.
Beyond policy criticism, the former CS proposed structural reforms to make education more affordable and accessible, particularly at the secondary school level. He called for the expansion of day secondary schools across the country, saying the move would significantly reduce education costs for families while allowing students to live at home.
He further advised that learners should attend secondary schools within their local communities before moving farther away for higher education, where exposure and social integration play a bigger role.
“A student should learn locally at secondary level and then go further away from home when joining colleges and universities to allow integration,” he said.
Matiang’i’s remarks add to the ongoing national debate on the future of CBC, as the government faces mounting pressure from parents, teachers, and education stakeholders to address implementation gaps and restore confidence in Kenya’s education system.
Source: NairobiWire.com | Read the Full Story…
