Nairobi, Monday 24 July, 2023
by Edna Okoth
The Ministry of Education in collaboration with Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) hosted a 4 day conference for the African Curriculum Association that was themed “learning for sustainable futures connections between Curriculum cognition and context”.
In a speech read by, Principal Secretary State Department for Higher Education, Kenya, Dr Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Cabinet Secretary for Education Kenya Mr Ezekiel Machogu noted that African governments have faced myriad problems in implementing curricula terming the theme of the conference timely.
“I urge you to put your best foot forward in coming up with solutions as as you cross ideas from different countries, ” said Mr Machogu.
Dr Beatrice Inyangala in her words said that Kenya was at the dawn of economic taje off and that the new Curriculum is geared towards equipping students with skills that are readily required in the market.
“Teachers must strive to be creative in their teaching to capture the imagination of learners, for example, using music to personify the Malaria causing pathogen Plasmodium in a music performance, ” insisted Dr Beatrice Inyangala.
Executive Director of KICD Prof. Charles Ong’ondo noted that they are currently on their seventh grade and are currently formulating content for senior secondary and also gave a brief overview of the process and status of curriculum reform at the basic education level in Kenya.
” I recommend that educators generally and Curriculum developers in particular need to engage in robust contextual analysis and map strategies for navigating them to enhance the acceptability, ownership and support for the curricula with ultimate focus on learning for sustainable futures, ” said Prof. Ong’odo.
Ghanaian Minister Education Hon. Dr Yaw Usei Adutwom mentioned that when he tought in United States before joining politics at home, he observed the gaps that were between African system and that of the US and from there he picked picked positive lessons that he used for establishing model classes in Ghana.
He illustrated with pictures and videos how a model school in Ghana has revolutionised classroom instruction that matches any in the developed West.
Ends..