Parents Back CBC as Practical Learning Shapes Career Choices

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

Parents have expressed support for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), saying its emphasis on practical learning is helping children identify their interests and potential careers at an earlier stage.

The parents said the system is giving learners an opportunity to develop skills progressively while choosing education pathways that match their abilities and aspirations.

Naomi Chepkemoi, a parent from Kericho County, said CBC has changed the way children approach career choices by exposing them to different areas of learning before completing secondary school.

Her child is currently in Grade 10, and Naomi said her experience as a parent of a CBC pioneer has shown her that learners can now select pathways according to their interests and ambitions rather than waiting until after Form Four to determine what they want to pursue.

She said the government should continue investing in the curriculum by ensuring schools have adequate textbooks, learning materials and other resources required to support effective teaching and learning.

Read More

Naomi also believes the practical nature of CBC gives learners an advantage, particularly because they are introduced to skills such as computer use at an early age.

She contrasts this with the previous system, where some learners only encountered computer studies after completing Form Four.

According to her, the emphasis on practical skills can equip children with abilities that will be useful in the workplace while also enabling them to compete with learners from countries that have adopted similar education approaches.

Betty Waheto, a trader from Kericho County and a parent of children in Grade 6 and Grade 9, said CBC is allowing learners to think about their future careers while they are still young.

She said the earlier education system often required learners to take numerous subjects without necessarily having a clear understanding of how their studies related to their future careers. Under CBC, she says, children are increasingly being guided towards areas that correspond with their interests and aspirations.

Betty cites her own child as an example, saying she has already expressed an ambition to become a doctor and is therefore concentrating on science-related subjects.

She believes such early career guidance will make the transition from school to employment easier because learners will have a clearer understanding of what they have trained for and the direction they intend to take after completing their studies.

Betty said CBC represents progress in Kenya's education system because it is helping address a challenge faced by many learners under the previous system, where some completed school without a clear understanding of the opportunities or careers their education had prepared them for.

Similarly, Christine Koech, a trader from Chepseon, said the current education system is helping children develop their abilities from an early age, with learners beginning literacy skills at the lower levels of education.

She said this gradual development allows children to build their knowledge and abilities step by step while discovering the areas in which they perform best.

Christine added that as learners advance through the education system, they can select pathways and courses that correspond with their abilities and provide skills that can be applied in their future lives.

She said the pathways are designed to support learners' overall development while preparing them for employment and other opportunities based on the practical skills they acquire.

Reporting originally appeared via Nairobi Leo. Read the full source for additional context.