Reforming Education in Kenya for Global Competitiveness: A Case of Competency Based Curriculum

Abstract

Education reform demands increased as Kenya entered the twenty-first century. Developing critical thinking, creativity, and practical skills is the main goal of the government's learner-centred Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which was unveiled in 2017. The goal of the CBC is to develop well-rounded people who can thrive in a world that is changing quickly by placing an emphasis on competency above content. In Kenya, the 8-4-4 system of education has been replaced with the Competency Based Curriculum under the 2-6-3-3 system of education. This signifies the end of a period in which the sector has been dominated by competitiveness and ranking. The primary distinction is that CBC concentrates on the observable abilities and competences that learners demonstrate, whereas 8-4-4 emphasizes content more heavily, which promotes memorization. A requirements evaluation of the curriculum measured against the aspirations of the country, according to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, made a curriculum modification necessary. Furthermore, there have been gaps in the educational offerings since 1964 due to the partial implementation of the suggestions made by earlier commissions on education. Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA), the assessment tool provided by the CBC, evaluates students' competency in relation to predetermined performance requirements. A series of systematic procedures that gather data to support the analysis of learners' progress and accomplishments are used in CBA, in contrast to formal assessments. As a result, assessment entails the learners doing specific tasks to evaluate their level of proficiency in completing them in an actual setting.