The New Basic Education System in Kenya:
Understanding the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) in Kenya
1. Introduction
Kenya has been having system of education, namely 8-4-4 (four years in primary, 4 years in secondary and four years in university) which is being faced out from 2017. The country is now adopting a Competence based curricular (CBC) whose implementation has begun in earnest. The New, Kenya Basic Education Curriculum Framework is the outcome of extensive stakeholder engagement, a national needs assessment study, deliberations from a national curriculum reform conference and several benchmarking studies. The framework is based on educational provisions of Kenya Vision 2030. It has been developed to actualize the new reforms in Education in Kenya, as the country embraces the new education system, namely 2-6-3-3-3. The structure is as follows: 2 years of pre-primary, 3 years of lower primary, 3 years of upper primary, 3 years of lower secondary, 3 years of senior secondary and 3 years of tertiary education.
This article briefly outlines different levels of education in the new system of education, namely, pre-primary education, primary education and secondary education. The subjects covered in each level of education are also outlined.
*2. Pre-Primary Years of Education*
Pre-primary level of education covers 2 years, namely pre-primary 1 and pre-primary 2 for children aged between 4 and 5 years.
1: Pre-primary structural model
Subjects for Pre-primary
▶️Language Activities
▶️Mathematical Activities
▶️Environmental Activities
▶️Psychomotor and Creative Activities
▶️Religious Education Activities
Note: Digital literacy and pertinent and contemporary issues will be integrated across all Subjects
*3. Lower Primary Education*
Lower Primary Education takes 3 years, covering grade 1, 2 and 3. The age bracket is expected to be between 6 and 8 years. There will be both formative and national assessment.
Figure 2: Lower primary structural model
Subjects
The following will be the Subjects in lower primary
▶️Literacy
▶️Kiswahili Language Activities/Kenya Sign Language for learners who are deaf
▶️English Language Activities
▶️Indigenous Language Activities
▶️Mathematical Activities
▶️Environmental Activities
▶️Hygiene and Nutrition Activities
▶️Religious Education Activities
▶️Movement and Creative Activities
Note:
ICT will be a learning tool in all areas.
Pertinent and contemporary issues will be mainstreamed in all Subjects.
4. Upper Primary Education
*3: Lower primary structural model*
This level of education covers grade 4 to 6, starting from age 9 to age 11 years. There shall be formative and national assessment to assess learning outcome.
Subjects:
The following will be the Subjects in Upper primary
▶️English
▶️Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language (for learners who are deaf)
▶️Home Science
▶️Agriculture
▶️Science and Technology
▶️Mathematics
▶️Religious Education (CRE/IRE/HRE)
▶️Creative Arts
▶️Physical and Health Education
▶️Social Studies
Optional Subjects:
Foreign Languages (Arabic, French, German, Mandarin)
*Note* :
ICT will be cross cutting in all subjects.
Pertinent and contemporary issues and life skills will be mainstreamed in all Subjects.
A pastoral program of instruction will be conducted once a week.
*5. Lower Secondary Education*
Lower secondary covers grades 7, 8 and 9 for those aged between 12 and 14 years.
Figure 4: Lower secondary structural model
Core Subjects
Learners will be required to take the 12 core subjects provided.
▶️English
▶️Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language for learners who are deaf
▶️Mathematics
▶️Integrated Science
▶️Health Education
▶️Pre-Technical and
Pre-Career Education
▶️Social Studies
▶️Religious Education –
learners choose one of the following:
▶️Christian Religious Education
▶️Islamic Religious Education
▶️Hindu Religious Education
▶️Business Studies
▶️Agriculture
▶️Life Skills Education
▶️Sports and Physical Education
Optional Subjects
Learners are provided with an opportunity to choose a minimum of one and a maximum of two subjects according to personality, abilities, interests and career choices from the following:
▶️Visual Arts
▶️Performing Arts
▶️Home Science
▶️Computer Science
▶️Foreign Languages:
▶️German
▶️French
▶️Mandarin
▶️Arabic
▶️Kenyan Sign Language
▶️Indigenous Languages
Note:
ICT will be a delivery tool for all Subjects
6 *. Senior Secondary Education*
Senior secondary school covers grades 10 to 12 for the age bracket between 15 and 17 years.
In this level, there are three learning pathways, namely:
✔️Arts and Sports Science
✔️Social Sciences
✔️ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
5 *: Senior secondary education structural model*
Core Subjects
It is expected that the learner takes the two core subjects provided, irrespective of the pathway identified:
➡️Community Service Learning
➡️Physical Education
*1. Arts and Sports Science Pathway*
In both the Arts and Sports tracks, the learner will be expected to learn core subjects as well as choose options. Life skills in this learning pathway will be adapted to suit the specific issues in each learning area.
*The Arts*
Core subjects
➡️Legal and Ethical issues in Arts
➡️Communication Skills
Optional Subjects
The learner will be required to take one of the following subjects:
▶️Performing Arts:
▶️Music;
▶️Dance;
▶️Theatre and Elocution
▶️Visual and Applied Arts
▶️Fine Art;
▶️Applied Art;
▶️Time Based Media and Crafts
_b. Sports science_
Core subjects
➡️Human Physiology, Anatomy and Nutrition
➡️Sports Ethics
Optional Subjects
The learner shall choose a minimum of one and a maximum of two of the following subjects according to the learner’s personality, interests, ability and career choices:
▶️Ball Games;
▶️Athletics;
▶️Indoor Games;
▶️Gymnastics;
▶️Water Sports;
▶️Boxing;
▶️Martial Arts;
▶️Outdoor Pursuits;
▶️Advanced Physical Education
*_The Social Sciences Pathway_*
_a. Humanities_
▶️History and
Citizenship
▶️Geography
▶️Christian Religious Education
▶️Islamic Religious Education
▶️Hindu Religious Education
▶️Business Studies
▶️Mathematics
_b. Languages_
▶️English Language
▶️Literature in English
▶️Lugha ya Kiswahili
▶️Fasihi ya Kiswahili
▶️Kenyan Sign Language
▶️Indigenous Languages
▶️Arabic
▶️French
▶️German
▶️Mandarin
▶️Business Studies
*_The Science, Technology,_* *Engineering and Mathematics Pathway*
a) Pure Sciences
Core subjects
▶️Community Service Learning
▶️Physical Education
▶️ICT
Optional
The learner will select a minimum of three of the following subjects:
▶️Mathematics
▶️Physics
▶️Chemistry
▶️Biology
*b) Applied Sciences*
*Core Subjects*
▶️Community Service Learning
▶️Physical Education
▶️ICT
Optional
The learner shall in addition select one of the following subjects:
▶️Agriculture
▶️Computer Science
▶️Foods and Nutrition
▶️Home Management
*c) Technical and Engineering*
Core Subjects
▶️Community Service Learning
▶️Physical Education
▶️ICT
▶️Mathematics
▶️Physics/Physical Sciences
▶️Chemistry/Biology/Biological Sciences
Optional
The learner shall in addition select one of the following subjects:
▶️Agricultural
▶️Technology
▶️Geosciences
▶️Technology
▶️Marine and Fisheries Technology
▶️Aviation Technology
▶️Wood Technology
▶️Electrical Technology
▶️Metal Technology
▶️Power Mechanics
▶️Clothing Technology
▶️Construction Technology
▶️Media Technology
▶️Electronics Technology
▶️Manufacturing Technology
▶️Mechatronics
*d) Career and Technology Studies (CTS)*
Core Subjects
▶️Community Service Learning
▶️Physical Education
▶️ICT
Optional
The learner shall in addition select one of the following subjects:
➡️Garment Making and Interior Design
➡️Leather Work
➡️Culinary Arts
➡️Hair Dressing and
Beauty Therapy
➡️Plumbing and Ceramics
➡️Welding and Fabrication
➡️Tourism and Travel
➡️Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
➡️Animal Keeping
➡️Exterior Design and Landscaping
➡️Building Construction
➡️Photography
➡️Graphic Designing and Animation
➡️Food and Beverage
➡️Motor Vehicle Mechanics
➡️Carpentry and Joinery
➡️Fire Fighting
➡️Metalwork
➡️Electricity
➡️Land Surveying
➡️Science Laboratory Technology
➡️Electronics
➡️Printing Technology
➡️Crop Production