CBC Not To Blame Over Demand For ‘Many’ Books By Schools-KICD

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 5- The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) does not prescribe a long list of learning materials to support curriculum delivery in schools, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has said.

KICD says there are various ways to promote the practical learning under the new curriculum without asking learners, particularly those in Early Years of Education (EYE) to purchase many books.

“CBC has nothing to do with learners being asked to come to school with a heap of textbooks,” said Prof Charles Ong’ondo, the Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in response to claims that CBC is expensive.

The government, he explained, procures books for learners in public schools and the rest are complementary learning materials that ought to be optional.

The CEO said the curriculum designs that teachers rely on to prepare learning lessons provides for suggested learning materials, which means that teachers are expected to make rational decisions on what is required to aid learning, depending on where a school is located.

He added that such cost effecttive approaches to learning enhances imagination and creativity; and critical thinking and problem solving, which are some of the core competencies for Basic Education.

The CEO challenged head teachers to consider selecting the most appropriate course books from the approved ones because given the prevailing economic circumstances, it is unfair to demand that parents buy all the books that publishers bring forward.

“Publishers have done a recommendable job. We interact with great ideas during evaluation but we have to agree that not all of these books should be made compulsory to be bought by parents. Schools could purchase a few of these as reference materials by teachers and not necessarily as books that pupils must have in class.” Prof. Ong’ondo said.

He said parents are free to choose from the wide collection of approved curriculum support materials but they should not be coerced to invest in the supplementary course materials.