Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i. [Photo/The Star]
Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i is on Wednesday morning set to chair a crisis meeting on the new education curriculum.
The meeting comes a day after schools re-opened for the first term, amid controversy over the implementation of the new system set to replace the 8-4-4 system.
The new curriculum which is being implemented from Nursery to Class Three has received sharp criticism from a section of education stakeholders-including the teachers union KNUT which is accusing the government of failing to consult widely before rolling it out.
Sources at Jogoo House-the Education Ministry Headquarters- claimed that the meeting will determine if the programme will proceed or wait until adequate consultations are done.
The planned rollout of the new curriculum is blamed for the confusion witnessed since Tuesday when most parents shunned bookshops in a wait and see attitude with the hope getting clarity on what books they should purchase.
The Teacher Service Commission (TSC) also plans to start hiring at least 12,000 teachers annually to increase the teacher-student ratio that has left a number of schools understaffed.
In a bid to improve the quality of education in public schools, TSC had issued transfer letters to scores of head teachers in national and extra-county schools amid resistance from some quarters including the Kenya National Teachers Union (KNUT).
It has, however, since emerged that most teachers affected by the transfers have complied with TSC directives and have taken charge of their new schools ahead of the reopening.
Over a dozen national schools are expected to open up day streams in line with the government’s ambition to ensure 100 percent transition from primary to secondary schools.
All students are also expected to be enlisted for National Hospital Insurance Fund in accordance with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directives