The task force formed by the President to review the new education system now wants the country to have a five-year transition period to phase out the 8-4-4 system.
During the five-year training period, the government shall have addressed the issues of teachers preparation, curriculum changes, parental responsibility and required infrastructure.
According to the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, within that period, the country would have developed adequate infrastructure for the new education system.
In a preliminary report scheduled to be presented to President William Ruto any time soon, the task force also wants the current Grade 6 pupils scheduled to sit for their national Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) to be hosted in their present primary schools.
JSS will remain hosted in existing primary schools for a two-year period after which the task force would have made a permanent decision on where it would specifically be domiciled.
And in a radical departure from the recommendations by Professor Fatuma Chege on the Competence Based Curriculum, the Professor Raphael Munavu led task force wants the structure changed from the original proposed 2-6-3-3-3 structure to 2-6-2-4-3 .
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will also be required to immediately identify primary school teachers who will undergo a month training on how to manage Grade 7 pupils next year.
The preliminary report only addresses the anticipated transition to Grade 7 as the issues of Grade 8 curriculum; delivery and others would be dealt with in subsequent reports.
The task force also demands that the Ministry of Education forms a committee of qualified personnel for an end term evaluation of the 8-4-4 system and give their feedback before it is phased out to pave way for full implementation of CBC.
“This will prevent CBC from facing similar challenges that 8-4-4 went through,” a member of the task force hinted to the People Daily.
