The new education system, the 2-6-6-3 system, was to take over from 8-4-4 system, but did it collapse? Is it still under review? Well, the future of the much-touted reformed education system is on hold and will be decided in January next year.
Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed told a local daily last evening that an education conference in January will review the new 2-6-3-3-3 system and decide the way forward.
“This conference was to be held Monday next week, but because the evaluation has not not been done and marking of KCSE exam is still on, we decided to push it to early next year,” Amina said.
She said children who are already in the new system will not be affected. “Its full roll-out will wait for the conference. We expect to come up with a clear road map,” She she added.
She denied that the system had collapsed or been suspended for lack of money and resources. The new system was part of the wide-ranging education reforms that were to eliminate rote learning to pass exams in favour of developing individual learners and recognising their abilities.
Earlier yesterday, Amina told the Senate Education committee chaired by Uasin Gishu senator Margaret Kamar that the new system, which has been piloted in select schools, has faced many challenges. They include lack of necessary infrastructure, enough properly trained teachers and required teaching materials.
“We are not ready to roll out the programme throughout the country. The worst that can happen is to roll out what we are not comfortable with. The design is fantastic, but the devil is in the details of implementation,” Amina told the committee. It was attended by senators Sam Ongeri (Kisii), Okong’o Omogeni (Nyamira), and John Kinyua (Laikipia).
Part of the infrastructures required for the overhaul includes phasing out of desks and replacing them with tables.
The suspended curriculum was meant to be more practical and involve less paperwork.
Despite calls by other stakeholders that the system be delayed until most of the infrastructure was in place, then Education CS Fred Matiang’i insisted on rolling it out.
The 2-6-6-3 system was to comprise two years of pre-school, six years of primary school, six years of high school, and three years of tertiary education. Classes are to be referred to as grades, rather than standards.
If it’s true the new education system has halted I would rather even those who had planned for that system should be arrested I won’t elaborate on that let their conscience vindicate them