The Presidential Working Party on Education and Manpower Training for the Next decade and Beyond (the Kamunge Commission) started its work in 1986. Chaired by James M. Kamunge, the team published its final report in 1988. Its members were:

Kamunge Commission Members

• James M. Kamunge (chairman)
• Prof Bethwel A. Ogot (vice chairperson)
• Dr Benjamin E. Kipkori
• Prof Philip M. Mbithi
• Solomon W. Karanja
• Dr Julia A. Ojiambo
• Jared B. Kangwana
• Samwel S. Maneno
• Ambrose A. Odongo
• Rev John G. Gatu
• Bishop Raphel Ndingimwana a’Nzeki
• Tom D. Owour
• Ben E. Mwangi
• Aron K. Kandie
• John W. Githuku
• Benjamin K. Kipkulei
• Elaine N. Mukuru (Secretary)

Kamunge Commission Recommendations

The team recommended in-service courses for school inspectors, who would also be required to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications.

It recommended payment of full boarding and feeding fees for students in public schools, training institutes and universities.

The team proposed the scrapping of personal allowances given by the Government to students in colleges and universities, establishment of more day secondary schools to expand access and recruitment of qualified personnel for pre – schools.The team proposed compulsory primary education and called for the abolishing of categorization of schools as high and low cost.

Secondary schools developed and equipped by the Government and with teachers paid from public funds were to be designated as public schools.

University education was to be expanded to produce more professionally qualified graduates for secondary school education. Untrained primary teachers were to get in service training.

The Kamunge Commission wanted Bachelor of Education programmes in universities to take five years, growth in university standard enrolment be matched with the educational resources and the development of public universities be coordinated and harmonized. It also proposed admission of day university students and the creation of the Kenya Education Staff Institute.

Kamunge Commission Report Implementation

The Kamunge Commission Report was acted on almost to the letter by the Government, altering the financing of education and relieving the Government part of the burden of financing education.

A major impact of the implementation of the Kamunge Commission report was the rise in the cost of education for parents and guardians, resulting in high dropout rates and persistent repetition of classes.

Kamunge Commission – Primary education

In this decade, enrolment in primary schools rose from 4.3 million in 1983 to 5.4 million in 1993. Enrolment, however, dropped by 1.8 percent in 1993 as in the previous year, it had stood at 5.5 million which was the highest figure in that decade.

By then the gains that were realized, with the introduction of the Second Free Primary Education were steadily eroded with introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education. Whereas 890,000 pupils had enrolled in Standard 1 in 1983, only 384,500 sat the KCPE in 1990, a dropout of about 60 per cent of the initial enrolment.

Dropout rates were highest in the lower primary, while repetition rates were recorded in upper primary classes. The average transition rate from Standard 7 to Standard 8 from 1987-1993 was 70 per cent. However, the number of primary schools increased from 11,955 in 1983 to 15,804 in 1993, while the number of primary teachers colleges rose from 17 to 25 during the same period.

Kamunge Commission Report and Recommendations

Kamunge Commission – Secondary Education

The first batch of the 8-4-4 system of education sat KCSE in 1989, the year that the last group sat the Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education exam. The two groups were considered for university entry in 1990.

Amid plans to restructure the education system, the Kenya Junior Secondary Education (KJSE), an examination sat mostly by harambee school students at Form 2 was abolished in 1985. The Kenya Certificate of Education (KCE) was done for the last time in 1987, paving the way for KCSE in 1989.

Enrolment in secondary schools climbed from 494,000 students in 1983 to 531,342 in 1993. The number of secondary schools also increased from 2,230 in 1983 to 2,639 in 1993. However, in 1990, the Government took a bold decision to integrate all harambee secondary schools into the national public secondary education system.

By 1989, harambee schools made up about 30 per cent of secondary schools in the country and the Government was under pressure to fulfil one of its promises of providing equitable distribution of education resources under the guidelines of the 8-4-4 system.

The Government decreed in 1990 that all unaided harambee schools were eligible to receive government assistance. A new classification of secondary schools was initiated and the harambee category was dropped altogether.

The national schools category was retained while most of the assisted schools were renamed as provincial schools and the rest, including the unaided harambee schools, were reclassified as district schools. But the most important development was the integration of harambee schools into the public secondary school education system with government support in the form of teachers and regular supervision.

Kamunge Commission – St Kizito Mixed Secondary School tragedy

School strikes took a tragic turn in 1991 when 19 girls at St Kizito Mixed Secondary School, Meru, died in an attack by the boys. In the attack that caused national and international outrage, more than 70 girls were raped after declining to participate in a strike organized by the boys. The male students retaliated by invading the girls’ dormitory. The school was temporarily closed and has since been renamed St Cyprian Secondary School.

Kamunge Commission – Technical and vocational education

Vocational education was institutionalized in the curriculum with introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education.

Whereas several pre-vocational subjects were introduced in primary education, a raft of vocational and pre-technical subjects were introduced in secondary schools, such as agriculture, business studies, computer studies, home science and industrial education (building and construction, electricity metalwork, drawing and design, power mechanics, woodwork and aviation technology).

The objective was to prepare high school graduates for the world of work and provide a foundation for further training in relevant post-secondary training institutions.

By the early 1990s, demands for the review of the 8-444 system of education, and more so its pre vocational component in primary schools, increased.

The main complaint was that the need for home science classrooms and workshops increased the cost of education. Further, few teachers were ready or trained to teach vocational skills.

Subsequently, most schools have dropped the vocational subjects,which are offered as options.

Kamunge Commission – Post-secondary technical education

Although there were problems in vocational education offered in primary and secondary schools, enrolment in post-secondary technical institutions remained stable.

By 1993, the three national polytechnics, Kenya Polytechnic, Eldoret Polytechnic and Mombasa Polytechnic, had 9,000 students in various fields.

The 18 technical institutes also had a total of 7,891 students, while the 17 institutes of technology had a combined enrolment of 5,281 students.

Kamunge Commission – Expansion of university education

The third decade of independence is quite significant in the development of university education in Kenya. In 1981, President Daniel arap Moi had appointed the Presidential Working Party on the Second University in Kenya under the chairmanship of Prof Colin B. Mackay to prepared etailed plans of a new university in the country.

Although the committee finished its work the same year and came up with a blueprint of a new university, it was not until 1984 that Moi University was set up. In addition to recommending establishment of Moi University, Mackay Report urged the Government to elevate Kenyatta University College, which was a constituent college of the University of Nairobi into a full-fledged university.

By 1993, Kenya had four public universities, University of Nairobi,Moi University, Kenyatta University and Egerton University. There were also two university colleges, Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology, a constituent college of Kenyatta and Maseno University College, a constituent college of Moi. A brief history of the established universities during the third decade of independence is as follows:

Kamunge Commission – Moi University

Although Mackay’s, committee issued its report on September 1981,it was not until 1984 when the Moi University Act received presidential assent and saw the Department of Forestry of the University of Nairobi transferred to the new university.

Consequently, the inauguration of Moi University took place on December 6, 1985.

The first 85 students of the university were accommodated at Kaptagat Hotel Where they stayed in tents pitched at the lawn of the hotel. Thereafter, tremendous development took place in terms of construction of physical facilities,student enrolment, staff recruitment and development of academic programmes.

However, as a result of a double intake that occurred in 1990/ 91 in order to accommodate the entry of the first batch of the KCSE graduates under the 8-4-4 system of education and the last group of students to sit for the KACE, a constituent college was established to cope with increase in student population. Siriba Teachers Training College and the Government Training College, Maseno were amalgamated and converted to Maseno University College, While Moi Teachers College was turned into Chepkoilel Campus.

Kamunge Commission – Kenyatta University

University of Nairobi also expanded its reach with its oldest constituent college, the Kenyatta University College becoming a full-fledged university.

The history of Kenyatta University began in 1965 when the British government handed over the Templar Military Barracks to the newly independent government of Kenya.

The barracks were then changed into a college known as Kenyatta College to offer secondary education and teacher education.

However, in 1970, the college was elevated to a constituent college of the University of Nairobi, following an Act of Parliament and renamed Kenyatta University College. Subsequently, in 1978, the Faculty of Education was moved from the University of Nairobi to Kenyatta,becoming the only institution training teachers for both under-graduate and postgraduate levels in the country.

In 1981, Mackay report advised the Government to elevate Kenyatta University College into an autonomous full-fledged university. Following those recommendations and increased demand for university education, in 1985, the parliament passed Kenyatta University Act and Kenyatta was firmly set up as an autonomous university.

In 1988, the Government through a Legal Notice gazetted Jomo Kenyatta College of Agriculture and Technology as a constituent college of Kenyatta University and changed its name to Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology.

Kamunge Commission – Egerton University

In 1979, the Government elevated Egerton Agricultural College into a constituent college of the University of Nairobi with the express mandate to offer degrees in agricultural sciences and home economics.

Originally, Egerton Farm School was founded in 1939 by Lord Maurice Egerton of Tatton, a British settler whose aim was to prepare European youths in Kenya for careers in agriculture.

By 1955, the name had changed to Egerton Agricultural College and was offering certificate and diploma course in agriculture.

Soon afterward, the college opened its doors to people of all races in Kenya and other African countries. In 1987, the college was recognized as a chartered public university under the name of Egerton University.

Cost-sharing in public universities from independence in 1963 until mid-1970s, public higher education in Kenya was offered free to the students as in most other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The rationale for free higher education was based on the country’s desire to create quickly highly trained manpower that could replace the departing colonial administrators. In return, graduates were bonded to Work in the public sector for a minimum of three years.

However, cost-sharing at the University of Nairobi and its constituent college of Kenyatta dates back to 1974/75 academic year when the Government introduced a loan scheme for all students. But many students and their parents continued to regard university education as free leading to the prevailing low recovery of these loans.

But in 1991, the Government introduced an enhanced cost-sharing scheme that required students to pay in full or in part through a direct charge depending on their need for tuition, food and accommodation.The move was a response to the ever declining state budget, which did not keep pace with high student intake when the first cohort of the 8-4-4 of students entered the university in 1990/91 academic year.

Under the new policy, they were required to cover both modest tuition fees and contribute to the costs of maintenance.

The introduction of direct charges was a Wake-up call that in the context of growing enrolments and diminished funding, the Government could no longer finance university education without compromising academic standards.

The introduced mode of cost-sharing in public university education Was part of the Structural Adjustment Programmes prescribed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Kamunge Commission – Student militancy

The untoward causes of student militancy and frequent riots that occurred in Kenya’s public universities during the third decade of independence could only be explained as end results of declining of national resources. The causes were also rooted in disappointment and distrust between the Government and students.

Declining national resources occasioned by economic melt down of the time as well as bulging enrolments had put the Government under intense pressure and it was unable to provide a high standard of living as that that was enjoyed by students and staff during the first and even the second decades of independence. According to Prof Everett Standa, the chairman of Vice-Chancellors Committee on Causes of Disturbances and Riots in Public Universities, inadequate funding to meet physical needs of the students, poor food and overcrowded hostels played a major in the chain of events that led to closures in 1980s.

As already pointed out, the debt crisis of the decade led to the Structural Adjustment Programmes of the World Bank that were presented as conditionalities to be adhered to if the Government was to be put on the list of aid beneficiaries. During the entire period, universities operated on a stringent budget and students and staff became more militant.

The problem was intensified by lack of learning resources such as books, journals and laboratory equipment became chronic.

Kamunge Commission – 1993-2003

During the first two decades of independence, the Kenyan state was characterised generally by uncontrolled expansion of formal education at all levels. During that period, the Government introduced two regimes of free primary education. The Government had reacted to public demands made on education and supported local harambee initiatives. This was a period that the Government showed commitment to providing educational opportunities to all children and in perspective the state was able to expand schooling and to promote its legitimacy as being a modern and compassionate nation.

However, from thereafter, the Government’s legitimacy was eroded by a long period of economic stagnation and unemployment that extended up to the fourth decade of independence. Besides, in the early years of Moi presidency,the original emphasis on harambee as a grass root movement took a more direct political tone, when the line became blurred between genuine‘ fundraising activities to boost education and campaigns by politicians to advance their chances to enter parliament. By 1993 , harambee fatigue had set in and fundraising barazas had declined throughout the country.

Nevertheless, economic decline led to a severe shortage of resources to the extent that the Government could no longer afford to subsidise the coast of secondary schooling for students in public secondary schools. The result was erosion of quality of education in secondary schools as government called for greater cost – sharing in education.Subsequently, school committees such as Boards of Governors (BoG) and Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs) were empowered to collect school fees and often disregarded minimum school fees structure from the Ministry of Education.

As a result some of the better public schools became exclusive province of students whose parents who could afford to pay high fess. Most of students from poor economic households who could not afford the fees in those schools had to seek placement in lower quality schools.In a nutshell, the fourth decade of independence was characterized by serious distortions in education than any other period since independence. According to educational researchers at the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis, high dropout rates and repetition rates reversed the gains that had been achieved in previous years.

There are indicators that in the larger period of the fourth decade the Government was unable to develop educational policies to improve quality or combat declines in enrolment rates, dropout – rates and repletion rates. However, it was during this period that gender gap in enrolment levels narrowed considerably. It was also during this period that private participation in primary education increased to sizeable levels.

But most significant, it is during this period that the Government introduced the Third Free Primary Education Initiative in 2003. Consequently, enrolment rose by 17.6 percent from 6.1 million in 2002 to 7.2 million in 2003. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) rose from 92 percent to 104 per cent of the primary school going population.

Kamunge Commission – Educational policies

The expansion of educational opportunities has been the primary objective of the Government since the attainment of independence.

However, from the early 1990s, enrolment declines were observed and many stakeholders faulted the 8-4-4 system of education, which was blamed of re-introducing a colonial-like system of education that encouraged social stratification in equalities.

Launched in 1985, the 8-4- 4 system emphasized vocational subjects and it was assumed that it would enable school dropouts at all levels to be self-employed or to obtain employment in the informal.

But by 1993, the Government was under intense pressure to reform the 8~4—4 system of education orto debunk it altogether. In order to address some of those concerns, in 1998, the Government carried an internal audit through the Master Plan on Education and Training,1998-2010 and Commission of Inquiry into the Education System of Kenya of 1999, popularly known as the Koech Commission.

Master Plan on Education and Training (1998)

Master Plan on Education and Training (1998) was an internal audit that Was carried by the Ministry of Education to try and introduce reforms in the 8-4-4 system of education. The initiative reviewed the identified problems and noted that the solution was not to abandon the 8-4-4-4 system of education,as most of the problems that were not necessarily from the education sector but emanated elsewhere in the society.

Subsequently, the panel that carried the audit highlighted the role of education as that of addressing issues beyond provision of vocational skills but to include aspects of mental, attitudinal and social abilities. They noted that development of education in the next decade and beyond should be engaged in expanding access, raising completion rates, retention, and raising relevance and quality at all levels.

The panel called for down – sizing of the 8-444 curriculum by making it more manageable, affordable and related to the needs of the learner. It was also recommended that pressure be reduced on household expenditure on education by increasing public financing on primary and secondary education.

Noting that education system was riddled With limited access,gender disparities, high drop out rates, and poor academic achievement, the panel issued five policy guidelines:

1. Decentralizing the planning, financing and management of secondary education to local government authorities, boards of governors and other school committees.
2. Increasing of education and training opportunities for the youth.
3. Raising transition rate of primary school leavers to secondary education to 70 per cent in 2010 and by 100 percent in 2020.
4. Raising the relevance and quality of education in all secondary schools so as to increase equity with regard to achievement.
5. Increasing efficiency in resource mobilization, allocation and utilization.

The post Kamunge Commission Report and Recommendations appeared first on Education in Kenya.

Ndegwa Report: The Commission of Inquiry (Public Service Structure and Remuneration Commission (1970-71) was chaired by Head of Public Service Duncan N. Ndegwa.

Although its mandate concerned the whole of the Civil Service, it made specific recommendations on education that were to influence its development.

The Commission recommended re-establishment of District Education Boards to enable the primary school system to respond effectively to local requirements by the active participation and involvement of the local community.

But more important, Ndegwa commission recommended phasing out of teachers without secondary education.

On secondary education, the Commission recommended diversification of the curriculum to allow more secondary schools to provide technical and vocational subjects. The recommendation was meant to enable secondary education to meet the manpower needs in the country.

It also recommended that the Government should take over all harambee schools and maintain them in order to improve the standards. On technical and vocational education, the Ndegwa Commission said there was a mismatch between technical and vocational education and the job market needs. It recommended reviewing of the curriculum in liaison with commercial and industrial organisations to offer relevant education.

On teacher education, the Commission called for expansion of training of teachers, especially in sciences. The commission urged the Government to ensure that good salaries were offered in order to attract high calibre students in to the teaching profession.

The post Ndegwa Commission Report and Recommendations – Ndegwa Report appeared first on Education in Kenya.

The monumental event in the education terrain between 1983 and 1993, is the birth of the 8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya, its planning, launching, implementation and challenges.

It is also a narrative of how structural adjustment programmes (SAPs), initiated by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as Well as the donor fatigue, and ignited a series of economic and political reforms that impacted negatively on educational progress in Kenya.

Whereas the first 10 years of independence could be described as a golden era, marked with an impressive record of economic development and credible gains in education, the third decade of independence was a lost decade characterised by a Wide range of internal and external political problems that eroded most of educational progress made in the first two decades of independence.

Education underwent two major shocks that resulted to massive decline in enrolments in primary education. The first occurred between 1984 and 1985 as a result of the introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education and its attendant costs of learning resources and facilities.

The second shock between 1989 and 1990 was also economically motivated. It was as a result of introduction of the cost sharing policy in education. Both changes led to sharp increase in the cost of attending school and triggered decline in primary school enrolments.

In 1982, the country went through the abortive military coup that put university education in a spin after the Government closed the University of Nairobi for 14 months as a punishment for support of the rebel soldiers by a section of students and staff. The sour relationship between the State and the academia, represented by students and staff at the University of Nairobi continued almost in the next 10 years, marked by massive crackdown of lecturers and students perceived to be anti-government. The situation led to the near neglect of the university, resulting in persistent student riots and strikes.

However, it was during this period that Moi University was established and paved the way for elevation of Kenyatta University College and Egerton University College, which were constituent colleges of the University of Nairobi, into full university status.

Cost-sharing in university education was also introduced as it was recommended by the Bretton Woods institutions in their structural adjustment programmes.

Adoption of 8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya

But the most significant issue was the adoption of the current 8-4-4 system of education in Kenya that has eight years of primary education, four years of secondary education and four years of university education. Although vocational education was recognized as the linchpin of the 8-4-4 system of education, it was felt there was need to prolong the primary education segment to enable school-leavers at that level to be mature enough to enter into the labour market.

The radical changes that were introduced to provide pre vocational and technical education to the pupils increased pressure on existing learning facilities. There arose the need for Workshops and home-science classrooms and the financial responsibility to provide those facilities was placed on parents, school committees and the local community served by the school. The burden to provide new textbooks also increased.

The extended curriculum increased the opportunity cost of schooling as pupils had to spend more time in school. Consequently, the doubling of primary school subjects, the additional time required to study and the financial needs for constructing new buildings between 1984-85 is estimated to have increased the cost of attending primary school by more than 100 per cent.

The new system also increased the burden on teachers and students with limited learning facilities. Nevertheless, the main drawback hinged on the system being burdensome to students as it required a lot of textbooks and other learning facilities, while most teachers were not adequately trained to teach some of the vocational and pre-technical subjects.

So in 1992, the 8-4-4 system of education was reviewed with some subjects being dropped.

Policies and legal frameworks

The Presidential Working Party onEducation and Manpower Trainingfor the Next decade and Beyond (the Kamunge Commission) startedits work in 1986. Chaired by James M. Kamunge, the team publishedits final report in 1988. Its members were:

• James M. Kamunge (chairman)
• Prof Bethwel A. Ogot (vice chairperson)
• Dr Benjamin E. Kipkori
• Prof Philip M. Mbithi
• Solomon W. Karanja
• Dr Julia A. Ojiambo
• Jared B. Kangwana
• Samwel S. Maneno
• Ambrose A. Odongo
• Rev John G. Gatu
• Bishop Raphel Ndingimwana a’Nzeki
• Tom D. Owour
• Ben E. Mwangi
• Aron K. Kandie
• John W. Githuku
• Benjamin K. Kipkulei
• Elaine N. Mukuru (Secretary)

The team recommended in-service courses for school inspectors, who would also be required to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications.

It recommended payment of flull boarding and feeding fees for students in public schools, training institutes and universities.

The team proposed the scrapping of personal allowances given by the Government to students in colleges and universities, establishment of more day secondary schools to expand access and recruitment of qualified personnel for pre-schools.The team proposed compulsory primary education and called for the abolishing of categorization of schools as high and low cost.

Secondary schools developed and equipped by the Government and with teachers paid from public funds were to be designated as public schools.

University education was to be expanded to produce more professionally qualified graduates for secondary school education. Untrained primary teachers were to get in-service training.

The Kamunge team Wanted Bachelor of Education programmes in universities to take five years,growth in university standard enrolment be matched with the educational resources and the development of public universities be coordinated and harmonized.It also proposed admission of day university students and the creation of the Kenya Education Staff Institute.

The Kamunge Report was acted on almost to the letter by the Government, altering the financing of education and relieving the Government part of the burden of financing education.

A major impact of the implementation of the Kamunge report was the rise in the cost of education for parents and guardians, resulting in high drop out rates and persistent repetition of classes.

8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya – Primary Education

In this decade, enrolment in primary schools rose from 4.3 million in 1983 to 5.4 million in 1993. Enrolment, however, dropped by 1.8 percent in 1993 as in the previous year, it had stood at 5.5 million, which was the highest figure in that decade.

By then the gains that were realized, with the introduction of the Second Free Primary Education Were steadily eroded with introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education. Whereas 890,000 pupils had enrolled in Standard 1 in 1983, only 384,500 sat the KCPE in 1990, a dropout of about 60 per cent of the initial enrolment.

Dropout rates were highest in the lower primary, while repetition rates were recorded in upper primary classes. The average transition rate from Standard 7 to Standard 8 from 1987-1993 was 70 per cent. However, the number of primary schools increased from 11,955 in 1983 to 15,804 in 1993, while the number of primary teachers colleges rose from 17 to 25 during the same period.

8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya – Secondary Education

The first batch of the 8~4—4 systemof education sat KCSE in 1989, theyear that the last group sat theKenya Advanced Certificate of Education exam. The two groups wereconsidered for university entry in1990.

Amid plans to restructure theeducation system, the Kenya JuniorSecondary Education (KJSE), an examination sat mostly by harambee school students at Form 2was abolished in 1985. The KenyaCertificate of Education (KCE) wasdone for the last time in 1987, paving the way for KCSE in 1989.

Enrolment in secondary schools climbed from 494,000 students in 1983 to 531,342 in 1993. The number of secondary schools also increased from 2,230 in 1983 to 2,639 in 1993. However, in 1990, the Government took a bold decision to integrate all harambee secondary schools into the national public secondary education system.

By 1989, harambee schools made up about 30 per cent of secondary schools in the country and the Government was under pressure to fulfil one of its promises of providing equitable distribution of education resources under the guidelines of the 8-4-4 system.

The Government decreed in 1990 that all unaided harambee schools were eligible to receive government assistance. A new classification of secondary schools was initiated and the harambee category was dropped altogether.

The national schools category was retained while most of the assisted schools were renamed as provincial schools and the rest, including the unaided harambee schools, were re classified as district schools. But the most important development was the integration of harambee schools into the public secondary school education system with government support in the form of teachers and regular supervision.

St Kizito Mixed Secondary School tragedy

School strikes took a tragic turn in 1991 when 19 girls at St Kizito Mixed Secondary School, Meru, died in an attack by the boys. In the attack that caused national and international outrage, more than 70 girls were raped after declining to participate in a strike organized by the boys. The male students retaliated by invading the girls’ dormitory. The school was temporarily closed and has since been renamed St Cyprian Secondary School.

8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya

8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya – Technical and vocational education

Vocational education was institutionalized in the curriculum with introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education.

Whereas several pre-vocational subjects were introduced in primary education, a raft of vocational and pre-technical subjects were introduced in secondary schools, such as agriculture, business studies, computer studies, home science and industrial education (building and construction, electricity metalwork, drawing and design, power mechanics, woodwork and aviation technology).

The objective was to prepare high school graduates for the world of work and provide a foundation for further training in relevant post- secondary training institutions.

By the early 1990s, demands for the review of the 8-4-4 system of education, and more so its prevocational component in primary schools, increased.

The main complaint was that the need for home science classrooms and workshops increased the cost of education. Further, few teachers were ready or trained to teach vocational skills.

Subsequently, most schools have dropped the vocational subjects, which are offered as options.

8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya  – Post-secondary technical education

Although there were problems in vocational education offered in primary and secondary schools, enrolment in post-secondary technical institutions remained stable.

By 1993, the three national polytechnics, Kenya Polytechnic, Eldoret Polytechnic and Mombasa Polytechnic, had 9,000 students invarious fields.

The 18 technical institutes also had a total of 7, 891 students, while the 17 institutes of technology had a combined enrolment of 5,281 students.

8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya – Expansion of university education

The third decade of independence is quite significant in the development of university education in Kenya. In 1981, President Daniel arap Moi had appointed the Presidential Working Party on the Second University in Kenya under the chairmanship of Prof Colin B. Mackay to prepared etailed plans of a new university in the country.

Although the committee finished its work the same year and came up with a blueprint of a new university, it was not until 1984 that Moi University was set up. In addition to recommending establishment of Moi University, Mackay Reporturged the Government to elevate Kenyatta University College, which was a constituent college of the University of Nairobi into a full-fledged university.

By 1993, Kenya had four public universities, University of Nairobi, Moi University, Kenyatta University and Egerton University. There were also two university colleges, Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology, a constituent college of Kenyatta and Maseno University College, a constituent college of Moi. A brief history of the established universities during the third decade of independence is as follows:

Moi University

Although Mackay’s, committee issued its report on September 1981,it was not until 1984 when the Moi University Act received presidential assent and saw the Department of Forestry of the University of Nairobi transferred to the new university.

Consequently, the inauguration of Moi University took place on December 6, 1985.

The first 85 students of the university were accommodated at Kaptagat Hotel Where they stayed in tents pitched at the lawn of the hotel. Thereafter, tremendous development took place in terms of construction of physical facilities, student enrolment, staff recruitment and development of academic programmes.

However, as a result of a double intake that occurred in 1990/ 91 in order to accommodate the entry of the first batch of the KCSE graduates under the 8-4-4 system of education and the last group of students to sit for the KACE, a constituent college was established to cope with increase in student population. Siriba Teachers Training College and the Government Training College, Maseno were amalgamated and converted to Maseno University College, While Moi Teachers College was turned into Chepkoilel Campus.

Kenyatta University

University of Nairobi also expanded it reach with its oldest constituent college, the Kenyatta University College becoming a full-fledged university.

The history of Kenyatta University began in 1965 when the British government handed over the Templar Military Barracks to the newly independent government of Kenya.

The barracks were then changed into a college known as Kenyatta College to offer secondary education and teacher education.

However, in 1970, the college was elevated to a constituent college of the University of Nairobi, following an Act of Parliament and renamed Kenyatta University College. Subsequently, in 1978, the Faculty of Education was moved from the University of Nairobi to Kenyatta, becoming the only institution training teachers for both under-graduate and postgraduate levels in the country.

In 1981, Mackay report advised the Government to elevate Kenyatta University College into an autonomous full-fledged university. Following those recommendations and increased demand for university education, in 1985, the parliament passed Kenyatta University Act and Kenyatta was firmly set up as an autonomous university.

In 1988, the Government through a Legal Notice gazetted Jomo Kenyatta College of Agriculture and Technology as a constituent college of Kenyatta University and changed its name to Jomo Kenyatta University College of Agriculture and Technology.

Egerton University

In 1979, the Government elevated Egerton Agricultural College into a constituent college of the University of Nairobi with the express mandate to offer degrees in agricultural sciences and home economics.

Originally, Egerton Farm School was founded in 1939 by Lord Maurice Egerton of Tatton, a British settler whose aim was to prepare European youths in Kenya for careers in agriculture.

By 1955, the name had changed to Egerton Agricultural College and was offering certificate and diploma course in agriculture.

Soon afterward, the college opened its doors to people of all races in Kenya and other African countries. In 1987, the college was recognized as a chartered public university under the name of Egerton University.

Cost-sharing in public universities

From independence in 1963 until mid-1970s, public higher education in Kenya was offered free to the students as in most other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The rationale for free higher education was based on the country’s desire to create quickly highly trained manpower that could replace the departing colonial administrators. In return, graduates were bonded to Work in the public sector for a minimum of three years.

However, cost-sharing at the University of Nairobi and its constituent college of Kenyatta dates back to 1974/75 academic year when the Government introduced a loan scheme for all students. But many students and their parents continued to regard university education as free leading to the prevailing low recovery of these loans.

But in 1991, the Government introduced an enhanced cost-sharing scheme that required students to pay in full or in part through a direct charge depending on their need for tuition, food and accommodation.The move was a response to the ever declining state budget, which did not keep pace with high student intake when the first cohort of the 8-4-4 of students entered the university in 1990/91 academic year.

Under the new policy, they were required to cover both modest tuition fees and contribute to the costs of maintenance.

The introduction of direct charges was a Wake-up call that in the context of growing enrolments and diminished funding, the Government could no longer finance university education without compromising academic standards.

The introduced mode of cost-sharing in public university education was part of the Structural Adjustment Programmes prescribed by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Student Strikes in Kenya

The untoward causes of student militancy and frequent riots that occurred in Kenya’s public universities during the third decade of independence could only be explained as end results of declining of national resources. The causes were also rooted in disappointment and distrust between the Government and students.

Declining national resources occasioned by economic melt down of the time as well as bulging enrolments had put the Government under intense pressure and it was unable to provide a high standard of living as that was enjoyed by students and staff during the first and even the second decades of independence. According to Prof Everett Standa, the chairman of Vice-Chancellors Committee on Causes of Disturbances and Riots in Public Universities, in adequate funding to meet physical needs of the students, poor food and overcrowded hostels played a major in the chain of events that led to closures in 1980s.

As already pointed out, the debt crisis of the decade led to the Structural Adjustment Programmes of the World Bank that were presented as conditionalities to be adhered to if the Government was to be put on the list of aid beneficiaries. During the entire period, universities operated on a stringent budget and students and staff became more militant.

The problem was intensified by lack of learning resources such as books, journals and laboratory equipment became chronic.

Strengths 8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya as identified by Koech Commission

1. Practical subjects introduced the children to life skills and laid the foundation for skills development. Those subjects also oriented pupils towards the dignity of manual Work.
2. An additional year at the primary level provided pupils with adequate time to mature since the majority end their formal schooling at the primary education level.
3. The increase from seven to eight years at the primary level gives particular advantage to the girl-child who completes this cycle at a minimum age of 14 years. The system provides increased opportunities for students to compete for university places compared to the narrower pre-selected A-Level cohorts of the 7-4-2-3 system of education.

Weaknesses of the 8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya as identified by Koech Commission

1. Lack of incorporation of the pre-school circle as part and parcel of the structure.
2. The loss of the two years of the higher secondary level that was said to rob the students of the opportunity to mature before entering the universities.
3. The fact that many students were said to be unable to cope with the transition to the university life and learning styles.
4. The mismatch between the curriculum content and the time allowed within each level.
5. The hurried implementation without any prior consultations and preparation.

Key recommendations of the 8-4-4 System of Education in Kenya as identified by Koech Commission

In order to alleviate problems inherent in the 8-4-4 system of education, the Koech Report came up with a system of education labeled as the Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training (TIQET). The report also came up with 558 recommendations.

Quite significant, the Koech Commission recommended there placement of the 8-4-4 system of education with TIQET. Basically Koech Report recommended for expansion of compulsory basic education from eight years to 12 years. It meant secondary education was to be part of basic education. Koech Report emphasized that with time, there should be no examination between primary and secondary school.

The report recommended reduction of subjects offered at secondary level, a move it noted would enhance quality at that level and also make the curriculum manageable. However, the report introduced a pre-university level that would prepare secondary school leavers for university and thus enhance the quality of university entrants. Listed below were other key recommendations of the Koech Report.

1. Provision of a universal and compulsory basic education in which disparities posed by geographical factors, social and gender issues should be eliminated leading to equity in education at all levels.
2. Expansion of opportunities at post-secondary level, so that learners can have flexibility in the pursuit of further studies.
3. Introduction of modular learning approach and credit accumulation in post-secondary education, which allows for credit transfers from one institution to another.
4. Introduction of limitless opportunities for access to education through expanded alternative and continuing education.
5. Introduction of a manageable curriculum content at all levels of education that does not overburden the learners and teachers.
6. A comprehensive legal frame work that addresses previously omitted aspects of education such as the early childhood care, development and education (ECDE), special education and technical education, and which creates new agencies charged with the delivery and coordination of education services.

Debate on educational reforms Koech Report was a radical document that proposed to replace the existing 8-4-4 system of education With TIQET, a concept that intended to integrate primary and secondary education into a 12-year compulsory basic education segment. The move was meant to provide every Kenyan child with an opportunity to attain the minimum of secondary education without undergoing through restrictive or selective examination procedures.

President Daniel arap Moi dismissed the Koech Report as Wishful thinking, unrealistic and unworkable. However, in order to pacify some of the critics of the 8-4-4 system, the Government reduced the number of subjects but the system remained intact.

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Prior to 1972, most lecturers at the University of Nairobi Were members of the University Staff Association, which was provided for by the University of Nairobi Act (1970).

But some dons had rejected to be members of his body, which they regarded as part of the Government machinery to curb academic freedom.

Formation of  UASU – Universities Academic Staff Union

So, in 1972, the University Academic Staff Union was formed and duly registered by the Government to cater for faculty members at the University of Nairobi and the Kenyatta University College.

Unlike the University Staff Association, which was basically a welfare organisation for staff members, UASU was founded with a larger mandate of improving terms of service, as well as to promote relations between its members and the university council and students.

But in 1978, differences began to emerge between the Government and UASU, especially when the union demanded reinstatement of Ngugi Wa Thiong’o to his former professorial position at the University of Nairobi after his release from detention. In addition UASU castigated the university and government on how they handled student demonstrations against apartheid regime of South Africa and murder of Dr Waiter Rodney in Guyana. The Union also started demanding higher wages for its members.

In 1980, the Government disbanded UASU and accused lecturers and professors of being involved in politics, which was not core to their employment. However, in 1992, the lecturers decided to revive the union and have it registered as the Universities Academic Staff Union in order to cover all the public universities in the country.

In 1993, lecturers from the four public universities went on strike in protest against the Government’s decision not to register the proposed union. But the lecturers were unawareas to the resolve of the Governmentnot to submit to calls to register UASU.

UASU – Universities Academic Staff Union

In its attempt to justify its decision not to register UASU, the Government relied exclusively on pro-establishment academics until 1994 when the strike was called off. Key officials of the unregistered UASU were sacked from the universities. They included Dr Korwa Adar, Dr Kilemi Mwiria, Dr Omari Onyango, Charles Namachanja, Airo Akodhe, Eric Makokha, Churchill Kibisu, Nyaduwa Odhiambo and Peter Kagwanja.

UASU was finally registered in 2003, after the KANU government lost the 2002 General Election.

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Kenya uses aims, goals and objectives in educational planning. The national goals of education in Kenya are derived from the general aims of education. General aims being broad and often abstract in their expression are unable to offer particular achievements within specified time limits therefore are used to offer general
guidance on educational intention and to guide the formulation of educational goals. Due to their significance in offering specific direction, Kenya has kept reviewing its goals of education to suit her prevailing circumstances.

At independence in 1963, Kenya inherited a system of education that had been designed in colonial times to suit the needs of the colonial administration. The new government found it necessary to revise the whole school curriculum and state clearly the national goals of education in an independent state. This important task was first undertaken by the Kenya Education commission in 1964 which became the well-known Ominde Report. It outlined six National Goals of Education which the educational system was expected to fulfill.

These goals were later revised and as explained by the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE, 2002), they are as follows:

Education in Kenya should:

1. Goals of Education in Kenya: Foster nationalism, patriotism and promote national unity

Kenya’s people belong to different communities, races and religions, but these differences need not divide them. They must be able to live and interact as Kenyans. It is a paramount duty of education to help the youth acquire this sense of nationhood by removing conflicts and by promoting positive attitudes of mutual respect, which enable them to live together in harmony, and foster patriotism in order to make a positive contribution to the life of the nation.

2. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote social, economical, technological and industrial needs for national development

Education should prepare the youth of the country to play an effective and productive role in the life of the nation.

a) Social Needs

Education in Kenya must prepare children for the changes in attitudes and relationships , which are necessary for the smooth progress of a rapidly developing economy. There is bound to be a silent social revolution following in the wake of rapid modernization. Education should assist our youth to adapt to this change.

b) Economic Needs

Education in Kenya should produce citizens with skills, knowledge, expertise and personal qualities that are required to support a growing economy. Kenya is building up a modem and independent economy, which is need of adequate domestic manpower.

c) Technological and Industrial Needs

Education in Kenya should provide the learners with the necessary skills and attitudes for industrial development. Kenya recognises the rapid industrial and technological changes taking place, especially in the developed world.
We can only be part of this development if our education system deliberately focused on knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare the youth for these changing global trends.

National Goals of Education in Kenya

3. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote individual development and self- fulfillment

Education should provide opportunities for the fullest development of individual talents and personality. It should assist children to develop their potential, interests and abilities. A vital aspect of individual development is character building.

4. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote sound moral and religious values

Education should provide for the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enhance acquisition of sound moral values and help children to grow up into self-disciplined, self-reliant and integrated citizens.

5. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote social equality and responsibility

Education should promote social equality and foster a sense of social responsibility within an education system which provides equal educational opportunities for all. It should give all children varied and challenging opportunities for collective and corporate social services irrespective of gender, ability or geographical environment.

6. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote respect for and development of Kenya’s rich and varied cultures

Education should instil in the youth of Kenya an understanding of past and present cultures and their valid place in contemporary society. The children should be able to blend the best of traditional values with the changed requirements that follow rapid development in order to build a stable and modem society.

7. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote international consciousness and foster positive attitudes towards other nations

Kenya is part of the international community. It is a part of the complicated and interdependent network of peoples and nations. Education should therefore lead the youth of the country to accept membership in this international community with all the obligations, responsibilities, rights and benefits that this membership entails.

8. Goals of Education in Kenya: Promote positive attitudes towards good health and environmental protection

Education should inculcate in the youth the value of good health in order to avoid indulging in activities that will lead to physical or mental ill health. It should foster positive attitudes towards environmental development and conservation. It should lead the youth to appreciate the need for a healthy environment.

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There are several challenges facing education in Kenya that have been as blocks for attainment of goals and objectives of education in Kenya. Some of these challenges are natural, some financial in nature while others are economically and socially induced. Political challenges also are a major reason why these goals and objectives are still not achievable.

Here are some of the challenges facing education in Kenya

1. Lack of adequate infrastructure and shortage of permanent classrooms in primary schools, particularly in poor counties. For example in North Eastern parts of the country.
2. Lack of clear legal guidelines on the implementation of inclusive education and non formal education programs. The guidelines provided for implementation of educational plan are always inefficient.
3. Lack of reliable data on children with special needs, out-of-school children and illiterate adults and youth. This results due to inadequate machines and personnel in collecting, analyzing and recording correct data.
4. Shortfall of adult literacy teachers as well as teaching and learning materials. There are no proper motivation and clear follow up on adult education which discourages education in this level.
5. Low transition rates from primary to secondary, secondary to higher education institutions, and higher education to special fields or job market.
6. Outdated curricula for technical, vocational education and training.
7. Inadequate physical facilities for technical, vocational education and training as well as mechanisms for quality assurance;
8. Limited resources for expansion of universities to cope with the number of students leaving secondary schools.
9. Mismatch between skills offered by universities and the demands of the labour market.
10.  High number of HIV/AIDS orphans.
11. High pupils to teacher ratios in densely populated areas and low pupil to teacher ratios in less populated regions.
12. Due to the need to contain the wage bill to manageable levels, the government does not employ new teachers, but only replaces those who leave through death, resignation or retirement. This has led to shortfall of teachers in schools.

Challenges Facing Education in Kenya

Strategies to address challenges facing education in Kenya

1. The Ministry of Education has drafted a national policy on ECE, which provides guidelines on the implementation of the ECE programmes. The draft policy is under discussion with the stakeholders before being finalized and adopted.
2. Adult literacy survey was conducted between June and August 2006 and findings should establish the actual literacy levels in the country.
   3. Draft policy on gender and education is being developed.
3. Draft policy on Open and Distance Learning (ODM) being developed.
4. Review of all laws on education and training is on-going through a task force on legal frame work for education and training.
5. Ministry of Education has prepared a draft paper on teacher employment and deployment to ensure equitable staff distribution.

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Gachathi Commission

Ideally, the National Committee on Educational Objectives and Policies of 1976, thereafter referred to as Gachathi Commission, was set up to evaluate Kenya’s education system, define new set of educational goals of the second decade of independence and formulate programmes to stem rural – urban migration, propose plans to promote employment creation and to suggest how to cut education budget from 15 percent to seven per cent.

In a nutshell, the Gachathi Committee argued that diversification of the school curriculum to include pre – vocational subject would relate better to the social and economic needs of the country rather than the examination related education, which concentrated on the cognitive abilities of the learner.

It further observed that althoughthe Government had introducedagriculture and technical subjectsin secondary schools, the expectedresult of making school leaversmore employable had not Workedout Well.

It noted that students regarded agriculture as an academic subject leading to a certificate rather than motivating them towards agricultural activities. The Gachathi Commission came up With 338 recommendations. Its members were:

Gachathi Commission Members

• Peter I. Gachathi (Chairman)
• Prof Joseph M. Mungai (Vice-Chairman)

  Gachathi Commission Report and Recommendations

• Ambrose A. Adongo
• Zachariah K. Gakunju
• John H. Gitau
• Juma Boy
• John G. Gatu
• Rev Fr Joachim Gitonga
• Elisha D. Godana
• Dr Albert J. Maleche
• John N. Michuki
• Giddiel R. M ’Mwirichia
• Josephat Mutugi
• Samuel Kihumba
• James S. Mburu
• Dr Michael Migue
• Harris Mule
• Kyale Mwendwa
• Joseph H. Oyugi
• Lt – Col Gordon Swansbury
• Prof Simeon H. Ominde
• Julia. K. Ramtu
• Joan W. Waithaka

Joint Secretaries:

• Ayub H. Muraya
• Leonard E. Ngugi

Gachathi Commission Recommendations

Some of the key recommendations of the Gachathi Commission Report of 1976 were the proposed nine-year basic education for all children in Kenya, stronger practical orientation in the secondary school curriculum and establishment of the Kenya National Examinations Council.

The Gachathi Commission report called for the integration of all Harambee secondary schools into the public school system, make Kiswahili a compulsory subject in primary schools, proposal to establish the Commission for Higher Education and offer external degree programmes at the University of Nairobi.

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Mackay Commission: On January 21, 1981, President Daniel arap Moi appointed Canadian scholar Dr Colin Mackay to prepare detailed plans and recommendations the establishment of a second university.

Mackay Commission task was not new as in 1976, the Gachathi Report had recommended that Kenyatta University College, a constituent of the University of Nairobi, be upgraded into a full university, and that a third university be started.

Members of the Presidential Working Party on Establishment of the Second University in Kenya (the Mackay commission) were:

Mackay Commission Members

1. Dr Colin B. Mackay (Chairman)
2. Prof Douglas Odhiambo (DeputyChairman)
3. Prof J.M. Mungai
4. Prof W.M. Senga
5. Prof P. M. Githinji
6. G. Gatei
7. S. Maneno
8. K. Kandie
9. F.O. Masakhalia
10. Prof P.M. Mbithi
11. Prof G. Saitoti
12. Prof P.L. French
13. E. Wasunna
14. E. Kipkorir
15. T. Leting
16. Prof R.S. Musangi
17. M. Mule
18. A. Wasike

The Mackay Report did not just recommend establishment of a second university in the country but restructured the entire education system to the current 8-4-4 model, of eight years of primary schooling, four years of secondary and a minimum of four years at the university. The report recommended scrapping of A-levels and simultaneously added an extra year each to primary and university education, respectively.

The Working Party recommended cost sharing in university education and the setting up of the second university without taking over any of the existing institutions.This led to the establishment of Moi University in Eldoret in 1984.

The team was opposed to the taking over institutes of technology by universities but said they should be maintained and supported by the Government.

It proposed the establishment of various faculties, schools and institutes at the proposed second university, namely faculties of technology, agriculture, commerce, education, science, veterinary medicine, information sciences, and forestry resources and Wildlife management.

Others were Faculty of health sciences; social, cultural and development studies, school of graduate studies, school of environmental studies and the institute of applied science and technology.

Kiswahili was to be made a compulsory subject at the second university. The second universitywas to be mandated to open a raft of courses in distance learning

Mackay Commission – Primary education

Whereas enrolment rose by marginal eight per cent in 1973, it jumped to 51 per cent in 1974 as a result of the provision of free primary education in Standards 1-4.In total, primary school enrolment rose from 1.8 million in 1973 to about 2.8 million in 1974.

A similar situation also occurred in 1979 when the second free primary education initiative was introduced. As in five years earlier, Standard enrolment rose to 977,000 which was a 63 per cent increase over the 1978 level. Nonetheless, as in 1974, subsequent dropout from the initial intake was exceptionally high.

By the time the 1979 Standard 1 intake reached Standard 5 in 1983, enrolment was down to 537,000. This was a drop of 45 per cent,which was comparable to a drop of 54.7 per cent of 1974 Standard 1 cohort intake by when it reached Standard 5 in 1978.

Nevertheless, post-1979 intakes to Standard 1 continued in the subsequent years at levels beyond 900,000 pupils but survivors to Standard 8 usually numbered fewer than 400,000. The problem became more complicated in that whereas  the overall enrolment rose from 3.9 million in 1978 to 3.8 million in 1979, an increase of 24 percent,as a result of elimination of school fees, no provision of extra teachers was made and disparities in the distribution of teachers widened throughout the country.

However, development of education and expansion of educational opportunities continued to be the major policy of the Government throughout the second decade of independence.

In addition to the two initiativestowards providing free access toprimary education, the number ofboarding primary schools increasedin marginal areas.

Responding to Gachathi Report, the Government directed formation of Parents and Teachers Associations (PTAs) in each school and given responsibility of construction and furnishing of school buildings in the country. PTAs werealso mandated to raise funds for extra-curricular activities, such asgames and sports, drama and musicfestivals.

But irrespective of many pupils dropping out from school, enrolment climbed from 1.9 million in1973 to 4.3 in 1983.

Still, concerns of quality, equity and relevance of primary education remained, leading to the restructuring of education in the next decade and beyond.

Mackay Commission Report

Mackay Commission – Secondary education

Although the Government shifted its main attention to primary education during the second decade of independence, enrolment in secondary education increased steadily from 175,725 students in 1973 to 494,000 in 1983. The number of secondary schools also rose from 964 in 1973 to 2,230 in 1983.

By the end of the decade, girls’ enrolment was at 40 per cent but only 34 per cent were enrolled in fully maintained schools. Most of the girls were enrolled in assisted and unaided schools, where quality of education was substantially low. It was during this period that the Government started thinking what to do with harambee secondary schools.

Despite heavy financial investment by the local communities, harambee schools continued to have poor physical facilities, a higher proportion of untrained teachers and offered limited subjects. For instance, they lacked science laboratories and hence could not properly teach biology, chemistry and physics.

Even then, the Government could only provide a few trained teachers in each school. By 1983, only 45 per cent of all secondary schools in the country were fully maintained by the Government, while the assisted and unaided harambee schools accounted for 55 per cent.

Mackay Commission – University education

During the entire second decade of independence, university education was mainly provided at the University of Nairobi and its constituent Kenyatta University College. Between 1973 – 83, undergraduate enrolment at the University of Nairobi more than doubled from 3,587 students in 1973 / 74 academic year to 7,516 students in 1982/83.

The Government increased opportunities at the University of Nairobi, in order to generate high-level manpower needed in the economy. Secondary education was in dire need of graduate teachers and the Government was under intense pressure from the public demand to provide more university places.

Subsequently, enrolment in the Bachelor of Education programme trebled while admission to under-graduate programmes in commerce, architecture, agriculture and engineering also increased, some by 40 per cent.

Apart from increasing student enrolment to meet manpower requirements, the University of Nairobi became a hub of intellectual discourse that led to the introduction of African studies and reforms in teaching of literature in English.

African studies in literature, history, sociology, political science, education and religious studies were added into the curriculum,as well as other academic elements that promoted African scholarship and culture. Specifically, there was rewriting of African history by scholars such as Prof Bethwel Ogot, Prof Gideon Were, Prof Godfrey Muriuki and William Ochieng. African literature themes were also written by Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Prof Chris Wanjala and Prof Francis Imbuga, among others.

It was during this period that the University of Nairobi expanded itsFaculty of Medicine by establishing departments of pharmacy and dentistry. The Faculty of Agriculture also established a new degree programme in food science and nutrition. With assistance from the UNICEF, the university established a postgraduate course in journalismin 1979.

Mackay Commission – Student militancy

The 197341983 period saw student radicalism and clamour for academic freedom among lecturers reach its height at the university.

Students and lecturers constantly hit at corruption, nepotism, regional economic inequalities in sharing of the national cake and other negativities they perceived were being perpetrated by the Government.

Tensions rose and the Government asserted the supremacy of one party-state by declaring that the University of Nairobi would be answerable to the Government and Kanu. Academic freedom was curtailed and some of dissenting lecturers were sacked or detained, while others escaped political persecution.

Some of the academics that were either jailed or forced to flee into exile were Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ngugi wa Mirii, Prof Miceere Mugo, Dr Katama Mkangi and Dr Elisha Atieno – Odhiambo. Others included Dr Willy Mutunga, Dr Multaru Ng’ang’a, Prof Edward Oyugi, Prof Maina Wa Kinyatti, Prof Al-Amin Mazrui, Kamonji Wachira, and Dr Kimani Gecau and Prof Shadrack Gutto.

Although there were minor skirmishes between the students and the Government in the first decade after independence, the defining moment of student militancy occurred in 1969 when Jaramogi Oginga Odinga of the opposition Kenya People’s Union party was prevented from addressing student sat Taifa Hall at the University of East Africa University College Nairobi.

Students held demonstrations and boycotted classes. The Government acted swiftly and closed the university college for several months. In 1972 student newspaper The University Platform was banned for being critical of government policies. Its editors Chelagat Mutai and Ochieng K’Onyango were expelled from the university college for one academic year.

In 1974, the students protested against Prof F. Jorgensen the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Development, for his alleged high-handedness, racism and mass failure of African students in architecture.

The university sacked Prof Jorgensen and six student leaders were expelled from the university. They included Oki Ooko Ombaka, Agnes Chepkwony and Rok Ajuluwho later sought higher education abroad and read up to doctoral level.

The Report of the Vice – Chancellors on Causes of Disturbances and Riots in Public Universities (2000), indicates that university student activism in the 1970 s and early 1980s was on national and international issues. Students protested against what they perceived as Kenyan authority’s tacit support of the apartheid regime of South Africa and the unilateral declaration of independence in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) by the White settler minority, led by the Prime Minister Ian Smith. Students were also robust against colonial rule in Angola Mozambique and Namibia.

But what irked the Government most was the perceived support by students of the Kenya Air Force soldiers during the abortive coupin 1982. In retaliation, the Government closed the university for 14 months. Scores of students were charged with sedition and their leaders were given long sentences.

For instance Titus Adungosi, the Student Organisation of Nairobi University (Sonu) chairman was jailed for 10 years and died in prison in 1988. Peter Oginga Ogego, another senior member of Sonu,Was also jailed for 10 years.

Mackay Commission – Vocational, industrial and technical education

Expansion of vocational, industrial and technical education in the early 1970s was as a result of government reaction to public pressure for increased practical skills.

In 1972, the ILO Mission to Kenya and the Bessey Commission’s report had recommended that pre-technical subjects be introduced in the school curriculum to reduce shortages of practical skills in the labour market.

In 1974, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) agreed to build workshops in 35 secondary schools for teaching industrial education. Agriculture was also introduced in another 100 secondary schools.

But as early as 1971, harambee committees through out the country had been raising funds towards establishment of harambee institutes of technology for Form Four leavers to acquire technical skills to make easier for them to obtain jobs in the local industry.

Some of the institutes that were established included Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology; Kimathi Institute of Technology; Kirinyaga Technical Institute;Murang’a College of Technology; Meru College of Technology; Gusii Institute of Technology and Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology.

Others were the Coast Institute of Technology, Western College of Arts and Applied Sciences, Sang’alo Institute of Science and Technology, Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology and Ukamba Agricultural Institute.

By 1980, the Government had incorporated 14 harambee institutes of technology into the national system of technical education.

By 1983, the institutes had successfully graduated 3,000 studentsin different courses.

In partnership with the local communities and charitable organisations, such as the National Christian Council of Kenya, the Government expanded the network of youth polytechnics in the country. There were 320 such training centres by 1983 geared towards providing vocational skills to primary school leavers in various arts and crafts.

Although youth polytechnics were and still are institutions in which local communities have a greater say in terms of management, the Government supported them by providing salaries for instructors, tools and equipment.

The expansion of technical educational institutions in the country, caused the demand for technical teachers to rise. As a result, the Government, with the assistance of the Canadian International Development Agency, built the Kenya Technical Teachers College that opened its doors to students in 1978 Technician apprentice courses were offered at the National Industrial Training Centres in Nairobi,Mombasa and Kisumu.

Similar technical courses were offered by technical institutions under different departments in the Government, parastatals and in the private sector, such as the Kenya Water Institute, the National Youth Service, Kenya Power and Lighting Training School and the Central Training School at Mbagathi, among others.

Mackay Commission – 8-4-4 System and SAPs

The monumental event in Kenya’s education terrain between 1983 and 1993, is the birth of the 8-4-4 system of education, its planning, launching, implementation and challenges.

It is also a narrative of how structural adjustment programmes (SAPs), initiated by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as Well as the donor fatigue, and ignited a series of economic and political reforms that impacted negatively on educational progress in Kenya.

Whereas the first 10 years of independence could be described as a golden era, marked with an impressive record of economic development and credible gains in education, the third decade of independence was a lost decade, characterised by a Wide range of internal and external political problems that eroded most of educational progress made in the first two decades of independence.

Education underwent two major shocks that resulted to massive decline in enrolments in primary education. The first occurred between 1984 and 1985 as a result of the introduction of the 8-4-4 system of education and its attendant costs of learning resources and facilities.

The second shock between 1989 and 1990 was also economically motivated. It was as a result of introduction of the cost sharing policy in education. Both those changes led to sharp increase in the cost of attending school and triggered decline in primary school enrolments.

In 1982, the country went through the abortive military coup that put university education in a spin after the Government closed the University of Nairobi for 14 months as a punishment for support of the rebel soldiers by a section of students and staff. The sour relationship between the State and the academia, represented by students and staff at the University of Nairobi continued almost in the next 10 years, marked by massive crackdown of lecturers and students perceived to be anti-government. The situation led to the near neglect of the university, resulting in persistent student riots and strikes.

However, it was during this period that Moi University was established and paved the way for elevation of Kenyatta University College and Egerton University College, which were constituent colleges of the University of Nairobi, into full university status.

Cost-sharing in university education was also introduced as it was recommended by the Bretton Woods institutions in their structural adjustment programmes.

But the most significant issue was the adoption of the current 8-4-4 system of education that has eight years of primary education, four years of secondary education and four years of university education. Although vocational education was recognized as the linchpin of the 8~4~4 system of education, it was felt there was need to prolong the primary education segment to enable school-leavers at that level to be mature enough to enter into the labour market.

The radical changes that were introduced to provide pre vocational and technical education to the pupils increased pressure on existing learning facilities. There a rose the need for Workshops and home-science classrooms and the financial responsibility to provide those facilities was placed on parents, school committees and the local community served by the school. The burden to provide newtextbooks also increased.

The extended curriculum increased the opportunity cost of schooling as pupils had to spend more time in school. Consequently, the doubling of primary school subjects, the additional time required to study and the financial needs for constructing new buildings between 1984-85 is estimated to have increased the cost of attending primary school by more than 100 per cent.

The new system also increased the burden on teachers and students with limited learning facilities. Nevertheless, the main drawback hinged on the system being burdensome to students as it required a lot of textbooks and other learning facilities, while most teachers were not adequately trained to teach some of the vocational and pre-technical subjects.

So in 1992, the 8-4-4 system of education was reviewed with some subjects being dropped.

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The Commission Inquiry into the Education System of Kenya (1999) that came up With the Koech Commission Report was formed immediately after the panel on the Master Plan on Education and Training gave its report.

Consequently, the Koech Commission drew heavily from highlights of the problems in education as identifiedby the panel.Its members were:

Koech Commission Members

• Davy Koech (Chairman)
• Florida Karani (Vice – Chairman)
• Hastings W.O. Okoth—Ogendo
• Filemona Indire
• Jack G. Okech
• Joseph D. Kimura
• Abdulghafur H .S. El—Busaidy
• Abdisalam S. Mohamed
• David M. Mbiti
• Ambrose A. Adongo
• George K. King’oriah
• Mwakai K. Sio
• Nicodemus Kirima
• Jasper M. Mumo
• Joel J. Ngatiari
• Jackson Kong ’ali
• Michael Ndurumo
• Nathaniel Chepkener
• Noah N. Chune
• Peter M. Kavisi
• Joan A. Okudo
• Swafiya M. Said
• Eddah W. Gachukia
• Joseph M. Mungai
• David K. Some (Joint Secretary)
• Johnson Hungu (Joint Secretary)

Strengths 8-4-4 as identified by the Koech Commission Report

1. Practical subjects introduced the children to life skills and laid the foundation for skills development. Those subjects also oriented pupils towards the dignity of manual Work.
2. An additional year at the primary level provided pupils with adequate time to mature since the majority end their formal schooling at the primary education level.
3. The increase from seven to eight years at the primary level gives particular advantage to the girl child who completes this cycle at a minimum age of 14 years. The system provides increased opportunities for students to compete for university places compared to the narrower pre-selected A-Level cohorts of the 7-4-2-3 system of education.

Weaknesses 8-4-4 as identified by Koech Commission

1. Lack of incorporation of the pre-school circle as part and parcelof the structure.
2. The loss of the two years of the higher secondary level that was said to rob the students of the opportunity to mature before entering the universities.
3. The fact that many students were said to be unable to cope with the transition to the university life and learning styles.
4. The mismatch between the curriculum content and the time allowed within each level.
5. The hurried implementation without any prior consultations and preparation.

Koech Commission Report and Recommendations

Key recommendations of the Koech Commission

In order to alleviate problems inherent in the 8-4-4 system of education, the Koech Commission came up with a system of education labeled as the Totally Integrated Quality Education and Training (TIQET). The report also came up with 558 recommendations.

Quite significant, the Koech Commission recommended the replacement of the 8-4-4 system of education with TIQET. Basically Koech Report recommended for expansion of compulsory basic education from eight years to 12 years. It meant secondary education was to be part of basic education. Koech Report emphasized that with time, there should be no examination between primary and secondary school.

The Koech Commissiont recommended reduction of subjects offered at secondary level, a move it noted would enhance quality at that level and also make the curriculum manageable. However, the report introduced a pre-university level that would prepare secondary school leavers for university and thus enhance the quality of university entrants. Listed below were other key recommendations of the Koech Report.

1. Provision of a universal and compulsory basic education in which disparities posed by geographical factors, social and gender issues should be eliminated leading to equity in education at all levels.
2. Expansion of opportunities at post-secondary level, so that learners can have flexibility in the pursuit of further studies.
3. Introduction of modular learning approach and credit accumulation in post-secondary education, which allows for credit transfers from one institution to another.
4. Introduction of limitless opportunities for access to education through expanded alternative and continuing education.
5. Introduction of a manageable curriculum content at all levels of education that does not overburden the learners and teachers.
6. A comprehensive legal framework that addresses previously omitted aspects of education such as the early childhood care, development and education (ECDE), special education and technical education, and which creates new agencies charged with the delivery and coordination of education services.

Debate on educational reforms Koech Report was a radical document that proposed to replace the existing 8-4-4 system of education With TIQET, a concept that intended to integrate primary and secondary education into a 12-year compulsory basic education segment. The move was meant to provide every Kenyan child with an opportunity to attain the minimum of secondary education without undergoing through restrictive or selective examination procedures.

President Daniel arap Moi dismissed the Koech Commission Report as Wishful thinking, unrealistic and unworkable. However, in order to pacify some of the critics of the 8-4-4 system, the Government reduced the number of subjects but the system remained intact.

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The current  levels of education in Kenya is similar to the U.S. education system. Designed to provide eight years of primary education, four years of secondary education and four years of University. Emphasis was placed on Mathematics, English and vocational subjects. Vocational education was aimed at preparing students who would not continue on with secondary education.

Here are the four Levels of Education in Kenya

Pre-Primary Education

Primary Education

The primary school years are split into what they call Standard One through to Standard Eight. At the end of Standard Eight the students sit the Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), the results of which are used to determine placement at secondary school. Candidates are examined in five subjects: Kiswahili, English, Science and Agriculture, Mathematics and Social Studies.

Secondary Education

Due to the large increase in primary school enrolment (since it became free) the number of students seeking secondary education has grown significantly. In 1963 (the start of independence) there were 151 secondary schools and the total number of students enrolled was 30,120. Today there are about 3000 secondary schools and the enrolment is about 620,000 students.

Tertiary Education

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Ominde Commission Report

In 1964, Education Minister Joseph James Otiende appointed the Kenya Education Commission (1964-65), under the chairmanship of Prof Simeon H. Ominde with the express mandate of restructuring the entire education spectrum. Members ofthe Commission Were:

1. Prof Simeon H. Ominde (Chairman)
2. Jeremiah Nyagah
3. A.I. Pandya
4. K. Ndile
5. Taaitta Toowett
6. Mrs. Ruth Habwe
7. J.B. Wambugu
8. J.D. Ochieng
9. Thomas Lung’ah0
10. Paul Fordham
11. Dr Mohamed Hyder
12. Israel Somen
13. David N. Michuki (co-opted)
14. C.P. Vivian (co-opted)
15. G. V. Krishna (co-opted)
16. S.J. Kioni (Co-opted)
17. David Mwiraria (co-opted)

Secretariat

1. Roger Carter
2. G. Kiti

Mrs. M.P. D’Souza

Consultants

1. A.D. Collop
2. V.L. Griffiths
3. Prof Arthur Lewis

The commission, commonly referred to as the Ominde Commission, published its findings and recommendations in a report released in two parts in 1964 and 1965. The report contained 160 policy recommendations on various aspects of the Kenyan educational system.

The Ominde Commission urged the Government to reform the system towards national development, which they viewed as the most important role that education could play in an independent country. In this regard, the Ominde Commission identified nine specific objectives, describing what the purpose of education in Kenya was to be.

The team recommended that education being a function of the Kenyan nation had to foster a sense of nationhood, promote national unity, and serve the people of Kenya without discrimination.

It also stated that public schools had to respect the religious convictions and cultural traditions of all people of Kenya.

Education as an instrument forthe conscious change of attitudesand relationships, had to preparechildren for those changes of outlook required by modern methodsof productive organisation, fosterrespect for human personality,observe the needs of national development, promote social equalityand remove divisions of race, tribeand religion.

Ominde Commission Recommendations

From the Ominde Commission recommendations, the Government set out six clear broad goals of education:

1. National unity
2. National development
3. Individual development and self-fulfillment
4. Social equality
5. Respect and development of cultural heritage
6. International consciousness

The Commission endorsed free primary education, the creation of the Kenya Institute of Education, and recommended a 7-4-2-3 system model of education, seven years of primary cycle, four years of secondary education, two years of advanced secondary education and a minimum of three years of university education.

Regulating harambee schools The Ominde Commission noted the rapid growth of Harambee and other unaided secondary schools because of the demand that there was for secondary school education. But many of these schools were unregistered and lacked basic facilities and qualified staff, and generally admitted students who may not have performed very Well at the end of primary education.The Commission recommended government regulation of those schools to avoid encouraging unemployment and frustration of their graduates.

It also urged the Government to include unaided schools in educational planning and avail professional advice by the inspectorate to these schools.

Ominde Commission Report and Recommendations

Ominde Commission – Universal primary education

The Commission advocated for free universal primary education (UPE). It called for a curriculum that was suitably related to the land and people of Kenya, inclusion of topics relating to citizenship and regular singing of the National Anthem and raising of the flag in schools.

Ominde recommended English as the medium of instruction from grade one in primary school. Kiswahili was to be a compulsory subject in primary and secondary school in preparation of eventually adopting it as the national language.

Ominde Commission – Examinations board

The Commission recommended establishment of the East African Examinations Board to replace the Cambridge University Local Examinations Syndicate.

This was to ensure that the proposed curriculum change would be reflected in the examinations requirements. The team supported the Government’s initiative of abolishing racial segregation in schools and urged the Government to offer bursaries to African children so that they could join schools dominated by Europeans and Asians.

The Commission the creation of national schools as Well encouraging all government maintained secondary schools to have 20 per cent of their students from other parts of the country. Teachers had to be ready to Work outside their homes and develop a national rather than a tribal outlook.

Ominde Commission – Economic development

The Commission encouraged development of adult education to enable people with elementary education to participate in national and economic development.

It recommended that religious education be treated as any other academic subject and should not be used to entrench any particular faith in children.

However, churches and other religious bodies were to remain as sponsors and offer pastoral care to the schools.

Ominde Commission – Teacher education

The Commission felt that unqualified teachers in the schools, low morale in the teaching profession due to poor pay and poor Working conditions would hinder achievement of educational goals. It recommended in-service training for primary school teachers and that primary school graduates should not be recruited as untrained teachers.

Ominde Commission – Planning of education

The Commission recommended restructuring of the curriculum from the model of 4:4:2:2 system – four years of lower primary, four years of upper primary, and two years of lower secondary and two years of Form 3 and Form 4- which restricted many African children from proceeding to higher education. Ominde recommended a 7:4:2:3 system, which would enable children go through seven years of uninterrupted primary education, our years of secondary from Form 1 to Form 4, two years of advanced secondary education and a minimum of three years at the university.

It recommended that general planning of education be taken centrally by the Government, with school committees and Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) overseeing administration and management of primary schools.

The Commission supported the Governments move to give secondary schools and other tertiary institutions Boards of Governors to manage them but called for suitable government control over the Boards’ activities.

Ominde Commission – Sessional Paper No. 10 of 1965

Besides the Ominde Report, theSessional Paper N0. 10 of 1965 onAfrican Socialism and Its Application to Planning in Kenya examinedKenya’s educational needs from anideological aspect, which was different from colonial administrationapproaches.

The paper viewed education as ‘theprincipal means for relieving theshortage of domestic skilled manpower and equalizing economic opportunities for all citizens.

The paper emphasized the needfor the country to Work towardsthe Universal Primary Educationas well as expansion of secondaryschools to facilitate higher education in order to hasten economicand national development.

Five years after Ominde Commission

The Government responded positively to the Ominde Commission Report by effecting a raft of reforms. Immediately after the report was published, the Government enforced the policy of establishment of non-racial schools in the country by giving African students bursaries to join high cost Asian and European schools.

By 1966, the African population in these schools was 30 per cent and increased to 65 percent in 1969 and almost to a 100 per cent in 1970.

Another change concerning those schools was that their foreign names were changed to local names. For instance Duke of York became Lenana High School, Prince of Wales became Nairobi School, Duke of Gloucester changed to Jamhuri, Duchess of Gloucester became Pangani Girls Secondary School and Delamere High School changed to Upper Hill Secondary School.

In 1966, a single common syllabus was also introduced with one common examination. The Kenya Preliminary Examination (KPE) was replaced by Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) and the East African Examinations Council was established in 1967 to administer the East Africa Certificate of Education (EACE) to replace the Cambridge School Certificate (O-Level), and the East Africa Advanced Certificate of Education (EAACE) to replace the Cambridge Advanced School Certificate (A-Level) examination.

The change in the syllabus and examination bodies led to improvement in localizing the content of education. Demand for secondary education continued and development of those Harambee secondaryschools increased to 226 in 1966 compared to the 199 government-maintained schools.

The Kenya Junior Secondary Examination (KJSE), Which was to be sat at the end of Form Two was reintroduced in 1966 to help some of students in harambee schools to join government schools or to terminate their education to join the labour market.

Nonetheless, the Government started taking over some of these schools in 1967 and in 1969, it started aiding most of them by providing and paying qualified teachers.

Ominde Commission – Kericho Conference

Influx of primary and secondary school – leavers to towns in search of salaried employment created avenues for criticizing education system. Due to intense reaction to the colonial experience, Ominde Commission had ignored, vocational education in favour of elitist academic education. By 1966, there was an outcry that there existed dichotomy in education as it had no correlation with the needs of the labour market.

Amid efforts to address the situation, the Government requested Dr Arthur T. Porter, the Principal of University College Nairobi, to convene a conference of experts to advise on how to deal with unemployment crisis of young people leaving school.

The key recommendations of the conference held at Kericho were:

1. Restructure education system and relate it to rural and urban development;
2. Increase primary education to nine years;
3. Delay entry to primary education to age eight;
4. Establish village polytechnics;
5. Create sufficient technical skills at village level in marketing and production;
6. Reform the school curriculum to cater for vocational education.
7. Wide extension of youth clubs and in all primary and secondary schools
8. Primary school be made centres of identifying and developing hidden talents scattered throughout the population.
9. Redirect some harambee schools to provide training for rural development.
10. Aim of primary education should not simply to prepare the lucky minority for secondary school but to prepare the remaining majority for successful entry into a satisfactory life of work and to continue education through less formal means.

Ominde Commission – Teachers Service Commission Act (1961)

In 1967, the Teachers Service Commission Act was enacted, ostensiblygiving all teachers one employer,the Teachers Service Commission(TSC). The Act clearly spelt out the teachers’ terms of service making the job acquire a more professional status.

In 1968, Primary Teacher Training Colleges were consolidated from 36 to 24.

Ominde Commission – Education Act (1968)

In 1968, the Education Act (Cap 211) was published and placed the responsibility of all education matters in the hands of the Government. The Act saw the establishment of the Kenya Institute of Education.

It provided an explicit legal frame work of education in Kenya, and gave guidelines on promotion of education in the country and management of schools.

It also gave direction on registration of private schools, inspection and control of schools, examinations and financing of education.

Through the Act, the Government assumed full responsibility of all education. It also gave school committees and Boards of Governors legal framework for their operations.

Ominde Commission – Educational policies

Although the Government had implemented most of recommendations made by Ominde and had also acquiesced to some of the urgent public demands by expanding education in all sectors by 1970, there had emerged new clamour for reforms. Educators and parents argued education had failed to address adequately needs of the country and its people.

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2-6-3-3-3 Education System

2-6-3-3-3 Education System was proposed by a task force headed by Former Moi University Vice Chancellor Douglas Odhiambo. The primary education will be split into two categories; Pre primary which will take two years and Primary education which will take six years.

Then students will advance to Junior secondary school which will take three years and later proceed to senior secondary school which will take three years too.At the senior level they will spend another three years focusing on their areas of specialization depending on their abilities and interests.

After senior secondary school, the students will enroll at vocational training centres or persue university education.

The system puts more emphasis on Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) rather than the end of cycle tests. It is focused on competency- bases rather than examinations. The focus of the system is to equip learners with skills rather than making than cram for the examination.

2-6-3-3-3 Education system Subjects

The system(2-6-3-3-3 Education system) gives students in secondary school a chance to specialise in the subjects they wish to pursue in tertiary institutions and learning areas have been divided into three categories: arts and sports, social sciences and science and technology, engineering and mathematics.

Under sports, students will pursue games, performing arts and visual arts while social science options will be languages and literature, humanities and business studies.

The third option will have pure and applied sciences, engineering and technical studies.

Subjects to be taught in lower primary will include literacy, Kiswahili, English and indigenous languages, as well as mathematical and environmental activities (science, social and agriculture activities).

In upper primary, pupils will be taught Kiswahili, English, home science, agriculture, science and technology, mathematics, religious studies, moral and life skills, creative arts (art, craft and music), physical and health education, social studies (citizenship, geography and history) with an option of foreign languages (Arabic, French, German, Chinese) and indigenous languages.

At junior secondary, a learner will be required to take the 12 core subjects — including English, Kiswahili, mathematics, integrated science, health education, pre-technical and pre-vocational education, social studies, religious education, business studies, agriculture, life skills education, sports and physical education.

They will also take a minimum of one and a maximum of two subjects according to personalities, abilities, interests and career choices.

The optional subjects are home science, computer science, performing arts, foreign languages, Kenya Sign Language, indigenous languages and visual arts.

In senior secondary, a student will take two core subjects irrespective of the pathway identified.

They include community service learning (life skills, citizenship, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and research) and physical education.

2-6-3-3-3 Education system Endorsement

The education CS Dr Fred Matiangi launched the system on 30th January 2016 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre and asked the Kenyans to continue making suggestions on it with the view of improving it.

The new system (2-6-3-3-3 Education system) was endorsed  by government officials and key players. During the ‘National Conference on Curriculum Reform’ in Nairobi, most participants agreed the current 8-4-4 system should be done away with even as the country aligns the education system with the development needs of the 21st century.

2-6-3-3-3 Education system Criticism

However, there were questions on when the new system will be rolled out. Officials from teachers’ unions said the country was not ready for the new curriculum. But Government representatives said the new system of education would be launched in four months’ time and that the only challenge was the actual time of piloting and whether there are enough funds to implement it.

Teachers’ representatives argued that the curriculum review is being done in a rush. Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion raised questions about the process used to develop the framework of the new curriculum which he said had not yet been gazetted.

Sossion said the remaining time is not enough to pilot the curriculum and that there is need for four to six more months to debate the quality of the new curriculum (2-6-3-3-3 Education system)

Sossion accused the Government of rushing the process to gain political mileage ahead of the next General Election. “It is not about finishing it quickly but finishing it well. We risk ending up with a very good document that will never be implemented.” But Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i brushed off the criticism, saying the remaining time is enough to fine-tune the curriculum and implement it.

Some stakeholders raised queries on the actual cost of implementing the new curriculum. However, the Government said that will be known after the whole process is complete. Matiang’i said the plan is to come up with a curriculum the Government can fund from its own budget. “Let us reduce the negative energy in criticising things just for the sake of it. You should focus more on how you should be involved rather than how much you have not been involved,” said the CS. Sossion said piloting should have started this month, and throughout the rest of the year, instead of May. He said the team that developed the curriculum needs enough time to debate the system, at least four to six months, and every stage shared with the public. “The biggest question about the curriculum is; are we ready to facilitate teachers with the 21st century classroom? The problem is if this is rushed, then we may not achieve the desired results,” said Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) secretary general Akello Misori.

Misori said the Government should come clean on the amount of investment it has planned for the roll-out of the curriculum, “because there is no doubt it will be an expensive affair when it comes equipping teachers with required tools and skills.” “What we do not want is a narrative from the TSC that they will re-train teachers yet we understand we already have an acute shortage of teachers. This curriculum is learner-oriented, meaning every teacher should manage a small group of students, as opposed to the current scenario,” said Misori. Also present were representatives from the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa), Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Kenya National Parents Association (KNPA) and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

Source: Standard Digital

Video

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Itibo Boys High School Details

Itibo Boys High School is a government sponsored boys only boarding school located along Kisii- Sotik Road in Kisii County. For further information please see the contacts below.

Itibo Boys High School Contacts

School Name: Itibo Boys High School
Physical Location: Along Kisii-Sotik Road
Address: P.O. Box 555-400200,Kisii
City/Town : Kisii.
County: Kisii County
School Category: Public
School Code :
Phone Number: 0722287409/0724604938/0725863711/0712638704
Email:
Website:

Itibo Boys High School Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

Itibo Boys High School Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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St.John’s Nyamagwa Boys Details

St.John’s Nyamagwa Boys is a government sponsored boys only boarding school located in Kisii County. For further information Please see the contacts below.

St.John’s Nyamagwa Boys Contacts

School Name: St.John’s Nyamagwa Boys
Physical Location:
Address: P.O. Box 505-400200,Kisii
City/Town : Kisii.
County: Kisii County
School Category: Public
School Code :
Phone Number:
Email:
Website:

St.John’s Nyamagwa Boys Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

Itibo Boys High School Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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Light Academy, Girls Details

Light Academy, Girls is a girls only boarding school located at Kilimani, in Nairobi County. For  further information please  check the contacts below.

Light Academy, Girls Contacts

School Name: Light Academy, Girls
Physical Location: Kilimani
Address: P.O. Box 13413, Nairobi 00100
City/Town :Nairobi
County: Nairobi
School Category: Private
School Code :
Phone Number: 0714 287085
Email:
Website:

Light Academy, Girls Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

Light Academy, Girls Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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St. Florence Girls Secondary School Details

St. Florence Girls Secondary School is a girls only boarding school located  at Githurai 44, off Kamiti Road in Nairobi County.For further information please see the contacts below.

St. Florence Girls Secondary School Contacts

School Name: St. Florence Girls Secondary School
Physical Location: Githurai 44, off Kamiti Road
Address: P.O. Box 8078 Nairobi 00100
City/Town : Nairobi
County: Nairobi
School Category: Private
School Code :
Phone Number: 0722 602405
Email:
Website:

St. Florence Girls Secondary School Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

St. Florence Girls Secondary School Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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St. Hannah`s Boys School Details

St. Hannah`s Boys School is a boys  only boarding school located  at Karen plains , Kabwagi road in Nairobi county. For further information please see the contacts below.

St. Hannah`s Boys School Contacts

School Name: St. Hannah`s Boys School
Physical Location: Karen plains , Kabwagi road
Address: P.O. Box 46988 Nairobi 00100
City/Town : Nairobi
County: Nairobi
School Category: Private
School Code :
Phone Number:0725 916484
Email:
Website:

St. Hannah`s Boys School Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

St. Hannah`s Boys School Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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Raganga Secondary School Details

Raganga Secondary School is a religious organisartion listed as s sponsored mixed day school located in Raganga,Kitutu Chache, Kisii County.   For further information please see the contacts below.

Raganga Secondary School Contacts

School Name: Ranganga
Physical Location: Bogusero
Address: P.O. Box 3449, Kisii
City/Town : Kisii
County: Kisii
School Category: Public
School Code : H6030309
Phone Number:
Email:
Website:

Raganga Secondary School Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

Raganga Secondary School Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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St. Luke’s Kanunda Secondary School Details

St. Luke’s Kanunda Secondary School is a gorvement school  located in Kisii County.   For further information please see the contacts below.

St. Luke’s Kanunda Secondary School Contacts

School Name: St. Lukes Kanunda Secondary School
Physical Location:
Address: P.O. Box 4161, Kisii 40200
City/Town : Kisii
County: Kisii
School Category: Public
School Code :
Phone Number:
Email:
Website:

St. Luke’s Kanunda Secondary School Highlights

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Debate Club:
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Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

St. Patrick’s Mosocho Secondary School Facilities

School Library:
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Nyamatuta Mixed Secondary School Details

Nyamatuta Mixed Secondary School is a grvement mixed school located in Bigige Sub location, Bogeka Location,  Mosoch Division, Kitutu Chache Constituency,  Kisii County.   For further information please see the contacts below.

Nyamatuta Mixed Secondary School Contacts

School Name: Nyamatuta Mixed Secondary School
Physical Location: Bogeka
Address: P.O. Box
City/Town : Kisii
County: Kisii
School Category: Public
School Code : H6030270
Phone Number:
Email:
Website:

Nyamatuta Mixed Secondary School Highlights

Music:
Drama Club:
Debate Club:
Sports Team:
Girls and Boys Scouts:
Students Association:

Nyamatuta Mixed Secondary School Facilities

School Library:
Swimming Pool:
Sports Field:
Computer Lab:
Science Laboratory:

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