The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, KICD, has quashed the allegations that pages of books with misleading content being circulated are from local instructional materials. KICD says that it has established the pages are picked from international media. The institute now urges Kenyans to verify content before circulating it.

“We have established that the page was picked from a foreign book. We urge Kenyans to confirm the source of any content before sharing.” KICD said in a presser, today.

According to the KICD, the book in question came to the limelight, in Ghana, after Ghanian media highlighted the book’s misleading content.

Newsblaze has indeed confirmed that the story about the book was done two years ago. According to our investigation, the Ghanian media reported in April 2016 that the Ministry of Education (of Ghana) had held that “a textbook depicting the head as a part of the human body used for carrying load has not been approved for primary schools in the country by the Ghana Education Service (GES). The ‘Natural Science for Primary Schools – Pupil’s Book 1,’ authored by Albert Joseph Quarm stated that the human head is used for carrying loads, an illustration that has been heavily criticized by many (in Ghana).”

KICD says someone must have, then, downloaded the image and shared it locally, in Kenya ( see image of the page from the book, below):

The image, of the book, caused online frenzy last week forcing the KICD to issue a statement that it will audit all textbooks being used in Kenya. (Kindly, remember to click on 2- to go to page 2- to read the whole feature)

On Monday, 15/10/2018, the KICD promised to take immediate action. “We regret information that has been circulating in the social media regarding content of some text books. We appreciate the feedback and will intensify measures to guarantee quality. KICD has been subjecting the books to further quality assurance checks”, KICD Director, Dr Jwan, said. Read more: KICD to review all textbooks

“In the last one week, KICD has been subjecting the books to further quality assurance to ensure they meet required standards”, Jwan added.

Dr Jwan urged publishers and booksellers to release only books that have received requisite approvals by the institute (KICD) for circulation.

In May, this year, KICD urged parents to buy only approved textbooks from authentic book sellers . “Go for KICD approved books to avoid pirated books with such glaring mistakes,” KICD advised. This came after a page of a primary school textbook was circulated and which had glaring mistakes on labeling of the human body parts (see image of the page from the book, below):

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The Teachers Service Commission, TSC, has directed the AON Medical Insurance provider to remove 3,690 teacher from its medical insurance scheme. This comes after the tutors transferred their services from the TSC to the Public Service Commission, under the Ministry of Education.

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This is contained in a circular dated 18th October, 2018, and written by Mrs. J.M Maundu (For the TSC Chief Executive Officer) to the General Manager of AON Insurance Brokers Limited.

“Following a directive on management Teachers/Lectures serving at technical institutions Teachers Service Commission released 3690 employees to Ministry of Education with effect from 1st October, 2018,” says Mrs. Maundu in the circular.

TSC now says the said tutors are no longer entitled to AON medical cover since they are not TSC employees. “You are therefore directed to remove the affected members from the list of membership henceforth, as per the provided data,” Mrs. Maundu directs AON’s Mr. Edwin Kegode.

Teachers under the TSC contribute to both the AON and NHIF, National Hospital Insurance Schemes. But, the AON medical scheme has been thorny, lately, after the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers, KUPPET, vehemently protested the recent renewal of the AON contract with TSC. This has led to major differences between the two teachers’ unions;  KUPPET and the Kenya National Union of Teachers, KNUT.

KUPPET has threatened to call its members to a strike in January to force the TSC to cancel the contract and is currently collecting signatures from members for a petition geared towards the suspension of the medical scheme. According to KUPPET, AON does not live up to expectations of members and they blame it for providing substandard services. KNUT on its side seems to be warming up to the AON medical Insurance Scheme and it has instead wedged a war with TSC on promotions, Evaluations and Delocalization of teachers.

Read also: Complete information on the AON Medical Scheme