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Just when Kenyans were starting to understand CBC education system, the government has now tossed it aside and introduced yet another system CBE.
Under former President Uhuru Kenyatta, the long-standing 8-4-4 system was scrapped and replaced with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Uhuru promised that CBC would change the future of education by focusing on learner potential, creativity, and practical skills. But what followed was mass confusion unclear guidelines, overwhelmed teachers, frustrated parents, and learners caught in a chaotic transition. Schools were left to improvise as CBC struggled to stand on its feet.
Now, barely a few years later, President William Ruto’s administration has come in and decided to start again moving from CBC to Competency-Based Education (CBE).
According to PS Julius Bitok, CBE is “the best system in the world” and will unlock the talents and passions of every learner. But Kenyans are wondering: how different is this from CBC? And more importantly are our children just test subjects for every new government?
As 1.2 million learners prepare to transition from Grade 9 to 10, anxiety is growing. Schools don’t know what learning pathways to offer. Parents are confused. Teachers haven’t been fully trained.
And while the Ministry promises to recruit 24,000 teachers and streamline everything using a system called KEMIS, the scars of CBC’s poor rollout are still fresh.
What is clear is this: Kenya’s education system has become a political football. One regime tears down what the last built.
