Tag Archives: Dr. Amina Mohammed

Editorial

Cabinet Reshuffle- Why Education CS, Dr Amina, may be shown the door; if the reshuffle is done.

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For the past few weeks, there have been unconfirmed rumours that the head of State, HE Uhuru Kenyatta, may reshuffle his Cabinet Secretaries. If the rumours come to pass, then one Dr Amina Mohammed (the Education Ministry’s Cabinet Secretary) may not be spared; going by the words on the tongues of most Kenyans. Dr Amina’s critics blame her for incompetence occasioned by the myriad of hasty decisions that she has been making of late.

First it was the confusion caused by the way she has handled the implementation of the New Competency Based Curriculum. Maybe, Dr Amina was right when she first insinuated that the country was not ready for the roll out of the new Curriculum. According to Dr Amina, then, the teachers had not been adequately prepared for the implementation of the new Curriculum. Of course, this is a fact but this pronouncement caused unprecedented ripples and anger from a section of Kenyans; more so parents with kids in lower primary.

Few days later, the Cabinet Secretary would emerge and announce that implementation of the new Curriculum would go ahead as scheduled. And, indeed, the Curriculum was rolled out in Lower primary classes, last week. What informed her turnaround is a mystery, for now.

Another decision by the Education Ministry, which has caused discomfort among parents, is that of forcing form ones to join secondary schools as placed by the Ministry via the National Education Management Information System, NEMIS. For months, now, the Ministry had rigidly clung to this stance till last night; when the Principal Secretary emerged with a softer stand; regarding the admissions. Parents whose kids had been selected to join far flung schools have had sleepless nights. One parent wondered why his daughter from Nairobi had been placed at a county school in Nyamira. “The irony of the story is you in central Kenya and your kid get a letter of admission from Lamu how on earth can you take your kid that far!,” wonders Macharia Njenga (A parent).

According to Godfrey Kimega, a parent, schools should be left to do own admissions as has been the norm. “Centralization of high schools’ admissions is a really bad idea. Better to let schools handle admissions. The ministry should handle only national schools admissions,” says Mr. Kimega.

” The second question that has so far not been addressed is what happens to the hundreds of students who’s details cannot be found on the Ministry of Educations form one selection portal. Tell me Ambassador Amina where are they supposed to go,” quips @ovendi101 on Twitter. Students most affected are those who were manually selected to join private and Sub- county schools. The truth is, some students are yet to receive their calling letters; leave alone knowing the schools in which they were placed. But, it is a relieve for them after the Ministry allowed manual selection of form ones by Principals at school level; provided such data is uploaded to the NEMIS system for ratification.

On the flip side, boys were selected to join form one in girls’ schools and vice versa; during the electronic placement via the NEMIS system.

Consequently, Kenyans have been ‘angered’ by the Cabinet Secretary’s shaky decisions. Some want President Uhuru Kenyatta to take Dr Amina to be taken back to the Foreign Affairs docket; where she ostensibly ‘did best’. Here is a collation of some Kenyans, online:

  • @ovendi101: “This flip flopping on policy in the Ministry of Education doesn’t help. It is now quite apparent that a steady had is needed at the Ministry of Education because this is a very sensitive docket.”
  • @ToneyAusteen: “Education ,the most important of all the sectors is being toyed with. The future of this nation is in deep https://mess.So  sad.”
  • @meshwendo: ” She (Dr Amina) is consistently inconsistent. From the implementation of the new curriculum to the form one selection by head teachers.”
  • @Jken_O: “Many have bought uniforms + other school specific items incurred costs, only those who can afford will now make the change of schools if possible.”
  • @Peter80329373: “She is not the right person for this ministry. This requires a decisive and firm person. We miss (Dr) Matiangi.”
  • @c-abong: “So many U-turns! The worst education minister ever, gambling with the future of this country’s kids. How are decisions made in the education ministry? Very worrying indeed”

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Latest Education News

Secondary school principal in trouble after Senator Mutula Junior Launched a complaint against her

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A secondary school principal is in trouble after Makueni Senator, Hon. Mutula Kilonzo Junior, launched a complaint against her to the Ministry of Education. Mwaani Secondary school principal, Mrs. Joan Muchina, is finding herself on the wrong side of the law for allegedly mistreating a form four candidate at the school. The girl whose father, who is now dead, used to work at the school spent most of the third term at home due to fees related problems; even after well wishers raised a huge some of the fee balance that was paid to the school.

In a memo dated 13th November, 2018, the Senator outlines full details on alleged misconduct by the principal and why he wants action taken against the principal. Here is an excerpt from the letter sent to the Education Ministry’s Principal Secretary, PS, Dr. Belio Kipsang;

“I refer to a story that has been circulating in social media on the unfair treatment of a form four candidate, Brigitta Wayua Sammy, in the said school (Mwaani Girls’ Secondary school) by the principal.

It is alleged that the girl’s father had been employed as a security officer in Mwaani Girls’ Secondary School since 2012. His two daughters were schooling in this school, on an arrangement on settling school fees. His elder daughter, Justina, completed her studies and is now a fourth year (student) at Maseno university. His second daughter, Brigitta who is currently sitting for her KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations), has not had an easy time in school for the whole of this year (2018) after his father lost his job in the school. (She, Brigitta, is herein after referred to as the student).

Brigitta’s school life changed drastically when the new principal, Mrs. Joan Muchina, was transferred to Mwaani Girls’ Secondary School. She dismissed her father a week after her arrival without paying his terminal dues. In the same week, the girl was sent home for school fees. She was home for three (3) months before her sister highlighted the case in a face book post in May 2018. A whatsApp group was formed which we (used to) raise around Ninety thousand shillings (Kshs. 90,000). Her balance was around one hundred and seventy thousand (Kshs. 170,000).

The Principal allowed the girl in school for only a few weeks but sent her home again shortly, thereafter.

On or about September 2018, Justina (Her elder sister) paid seven thousand and five hundred shillings (Kshs. 7,500) being her third term fees, using her HELB (Higher Educations Loans board) loan but the principal still sent her home at around 6.30 pm. She walked for over twenty kilometers (20km) to her home at west Ngoini, Muvau ward. By God’s grace she arrived safely at midnight.

Unfortunately, her father died on 16th October 2018 while undergoing treatment at Kikima, Mbooni Sub County Hospital. The school ignored the matter even when he was a parent of one of their students and a former member of staff.

The mother of the student pleaded with the principal to allow her back to school to no avail. Instead, she hauled insults to her in front of her daughter. The student spent her third term at home until a week to the commencement of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination when her class teacher called to inform her to go to school for her exam.

The principal has called and texted Justina severally threatening to deal with her, if she keeps on exposing the ill treatment of her younger sister. She has sent Justina’s neighbour to inform her that she will sue her for defamation. she has also threatened to write a story about her father’s death, which she alleges was suicide (due to suicide).

Justina has already lodged a formal complaint with the County Director of Education, Makueni County.”

Senator Mutula Kilonzo junior,Makueni County.

Senator Mutula, who is also the Senate Minority Whip, now requests Dr. Belio Kipsang to investigate the matter.

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Latest Education News

Team to probe textbooks formed by the Education Cabinet Secretary

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A team to check on the quality of the new Competency Based Curriculum, CBC, books has been constituted. The team to be spearheaded by Mr. Eldon Mike was appointed by the Education Ministry’s Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Amina Mohammed, this week. The seven member team will be tasked with analyzing the content in the new textbooks for the CBC that have been approved by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, KICD. The  Eldon lead team will carry out an in-depth audit of all grade one to three textbooks, ahead of the full roll out of the CBC next year, 2019.

Formation of the team comes after low quality textbooks, some with misleading information, were found in the market forming the KICD to offer a public apology. The task force has been given a period of thirty days to report back to the Cabinet Secretary on the appropriateness of the textbooks; the team will comb through the textbooks contained in the Orange book.

Misleading content in a textbook. A new task force has been formed by the Education Ministry's Cabinet Secretary to do a forensic analysis on the quality of grade one to three textbooks
Misleading content in a textbook. A new task force has been formed by the Education Ministry’s Cabinet Secretary to do a forensic analysis on the quality of grade one to three textbooks

Read full details, here:  

Apart from the chair, other members appointed to the task force are:

  • Professor Mohammed Hussein Abdille,
  • Dr. Walter Juma Ongeti,
  • Dr. Michelle Wariara Karume,
  • Ms Jennifer Kimani,
  • Ms Soiya Gecaga and
  • Ms Alice Nderitu,

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Latest Education News

CS Amina- Full press statement on the Status of the Competency Based Curriculum in 2019

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Below is the full press statement by the Education Ministry’s Cabinet Secretary (Dr. Amina Mohammed) on the status of the implementation of the New Competency Based Curriculum, CBC;

“This morning, the Multi-Sectoral National steering Committee met to review the current status of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) with a view to provide necessary direction for 2019.

The Committee reviewed the findings of the National External Evaluation, which was commissioned by the Cabinet Secretary following the release of the internal evaluation report concluded in June, 2018. The following key findings emanating from the two studies provided the context of the meeting:

  • A majority of the stakeholders are still optimistic about the capacity of the CBC to improve learning and teaching pedagogy in Kenyan schools.
  • The policy framework for the CBC framework was not adopted at the start of the pilot and currently remains in draft form.
  • There is inadequate alignment between the CBC formulation, teacher capacity development, selection and supply of learning materials and assessment. This has led to inadequate coordination and ad-hoc workshops in place of teacher training compounded by the absence of relevant CBC materials.
  • The Curriculum was poorly planned and hastily introduced in schools.
  • The process did not carefully consider resource constraints and was not given the necessary strategic interventions at the inception stage.
  • The role of the teacher in the curriculum design was marginal, leading to lack of by-in and comprehension of the structure by teachers.
  • The procedures for developing a learning programme are deemed complex, decreasing the quality of lesson plans and teacher interventions.
  • Assessment tools are unavailable in all the schools that were assessed.

Based on the observed gaps during the National pilot in 2018, the National steering committee has resolved as follows:

  • The CBC National Pilot be extended for one more year up-to grade 3 to allow alignment in implementation, particularly, intensive in-service teacher training.
  • The National roll-out will take place in January 2020.
  • We will finalize and launch the National Curriculum Policy Framework in January 2019.
  • We will present the Sessional Paper on Reforming Education and Training Sector in Kenya before Parliament in February 2019, when the Houses resume sessions. Once passed, it will ensure a new instructional paradigm in the Kenyan Education System.
  • We will launch the National Education Sector Strategic Plan for the period 2018-2022 in February, 2019.
  • A Secretariat will be established within the Ministry to coordinate the priorities, activities, communication and implementation infrastructure to support the CBC.
  • Coordination in the next two months must be done by all the stakeholders, together, to ensure consistency and concentration.
  • The Directorate of Quality Assurance and Standards be tasked to rigorously track the implementation of the CBC in all the Sub- Counties across the country. Training of Quality Assurance Officers for this purpose will commence in February, 2019.
  • The Curriculum focus at the Ministry of Education will be re-organized to secure supervision and evaluation of the CBC in all public, private and special needs institutions across the country.
  • We will step-up intensive teacher training programmes across the country. Training of Tutors for Teacher Training Colleges will commence in January, 2019, and will follow a College-based teacher training model.
  • A dedicated Fund for teacher training in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 financial years will be negotiated, set aside and ring-fenced.
  • Link Digital Literacy Programme to the CBC to secure comprehensive training on digital literacy as a key component of the CBC.
  • Develop an assessment framework with clearly spelt-out  competencies at every level. KICD (Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development) to provide crisp competencies to guide this process to allow the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) develop and release the Assessment Framework.
  • The realities on the ground and aspirations for the CBC must be aligned.”
Amb. (Dr.) Amina Mohammed, EGH, CAV;
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education.

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Latest Education News

CS Amina admonished for ‘clinging on’ to the education docket

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Newly appointed Sports and Culture Cabinet Secretary Dr Amina Mohamned, has been castigated by some Kenyans after leading a delegation of Vice Chancellors to the United Kingdom, UK, for a first of its kind Kenya-UK Universities Twinning Programme. The programme that aims to explore areas of collaboration brought dons from the two countries together.

According to the critics, Dr Amina should have left the Education docket by now; after President Kenyatta moved her to the Sports docket.
But, according to the Law, Dr Amina Mohammed is still the CS for Education until the vetting and swearing-in of the CS Education nominee is complete. She’s also substantively, the CS for Sports. The newly appointed Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha is yet to take over as he awaits the vetting process.

In Yesterday’s meeting, the dons agreed to explore avenues for transnational education, student mobility, scholarships and research. The meeting resolved to tap existing partnerships to deepen cooperation in research and innovation, provide avenues to build staff capacity, create a database of available funding opportunities for doctoral research and advanced scholarships.

Above: Dr Amina Mohammed at yesterday’s meeting in the United Kingdom.

Here are some dissenting voices from some online users:

@OtienoK; “I thought it was sports delegation”

@Jahera; “Madam decided to use the allowances before exiting the scene fully.”

@Atai; “The money would have been better spent in giving research grants where industry is working with academia. Hizi trips are a waste of resources.”

@Ngugi Cedric; “Waste of public resources jetting around the world for no tangible gain.”

@Cess Mwangi; “Before you leave this docket officially, please explain why expectant mothers are sacked without notice in private schools..”