Accept it when learners challenge you in class, KICD advices teachers

Teachers should not take offence when learners correct them in class because that is exactly the kind of confident, questioning student the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system is designed to produce, the agency responsible for developing the national curriculum has said.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Chief Executive Charles Ong'ondo told secondary school principals that the new curriculum is about nurturing every learner's individual potential, not ranking students against one another, because the curriculum is designed purely to help explore their potential without being compared to others.

Prof Ong’ondo, who was addressing principals in Mombasa at the just concluded Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) conference, said that is why schools should not administer joint mock examinations for Grade 10 to Grade 12 learners or rush through the syllabus as was the case with the 8-4-4 system.

“We expect you to offer a wide range of educational knowledge to every learner’s potential so that he or she chooses his or her career path which they do without regretting,” said Ong’ondo.

In the CBE system, the teachers cannot rush the syllabus to complete it a year earlier, as has been the case with the 844 systems, where we always hear some schools had completed and were doing revision.

He said in CBE there is nothing like revision, adding that teachers must go step by step as has been prescribed in the curriculum.

He explained that the system was divided in such a way that when children are in pre-primary at four years, they are taught how to interact with peers who are not their family members.

He said that after interaction with their peers for 2 years, they are moved to grade one, where they socialise with peers from other families to start developing socialisation skills with an interest in education.

“When they reach Junior Secondary School, they are allowed to explore their talents where they can decide which pathway they want to follow,” said Ongondo.

He advised the principals to guide the grade children wisely because some of them had already made a decision on what they wanted, which teachers had no authority to discourage them.

Some of these children in grade 10 are aware of what they want and dare to correct the teachers who are not conversant with what they are doing.

“I know of cases where grade 10 students have been correcting their teachers who are struggling with what they do not know. These are the generation we want who know what is right or wrong and can politely correct," he said.

He warned the teachers not to take offence when a child corrects them because this was the society we want, as long as they were guided properly.

The CBE system has been socialised to the extent that learners are being taught to ask questions without being intimidated by anybody.

He said when a child asks you questions like requesting a teacher to give him or her a phone to call the parents, you are not supposed to take it as an offence or being rude.

“This is what CBE want in the new generation. It takes a long time to produce learners like that,” said Ongondo.

He said Kenyans were no longer fighting ignorance but fighting to help children explore their potential for their future.

He warned the teachers against administering examinations out of the curriculum and buying books which have not been approved by KICD because those selling them are committing a crime.

“Do not buy books from fake publishers for grade 10 who are going around with fake books,” said Ongondo.

He asked KSSHA not to allow fake publishers to sell such books in such forums because they are committing a crime by

Teacher Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Everlyn Mitei said the commission wants the teachers to be issued with practising certificates renewable after five years.

Other professionals were already doing so and that is why TSC was also planning to introduce the system in the teaching profession.

The Law Society of Kenya LSK is already issuing their members with the practising certificate. I do not see anything wrong when the teachers are also issued with certificates,” said Mitei.