Pupils to wait longer for books as state evaluates new material

Students in primary schools will have to wait longer for newly approved Competency Based Curriculum textbooks as government undertakes evaluation of new learning materials.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development implemented reduction of subjects following recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

The process has affected students from Grades 5 to 8, who are now forced to rely on available materials before rationalisation as government races against time to avail new learning materials.

Kenya Publishers Association Tuesday said the earliest students in Grade 5 and 6 will have new approved books will be at the end of January – three weeks after schools reopen.

Grades 7 and 8 will wait until the end of February for the new materials to be made available. KPA chairperson Kiarie Kamau said publishers have already developed the new books and submitted them to KICD for evaluation and approval.

“The approved books are currently undergoing final corrections by KICD with a view of releasing them to the market by end of January (for Grades 5 and 6 ) and by end of February (for Grades 7 and 8 ),” Kamau said.

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According to the recommendations, home science and agriculture were merged into agriculture, integrated science and health education merged into integrated science while social studies and life skills were collapsed into social studies.

The task force also recommended merging of visual arts, performing arts, physical education and sports into creative arts and sports.

The publishers have however insisted that the learning materials before the rationalistion are still relevant, telling parents not to panic.

There has been outcry from parents and teachers on the availability of approved textbooks on revised subjects following the rationalisation of some learning areas.

Several parents have found it difficult to get the new books from the bookstores days before schools reopened.

Kamau argued that the initial textbooks before rationalisation are still relevant and satisfy the new learning areas.

“In spite of the fact that there are rationalised books to be released in the areas, KPA confirms that there are still sufficient relevant textbooks in the circulation for these subjects,” he said.

“These materials, produced before the rationalisation process, still meet the needs of learners and teachers in Grades 5,6,7 and 8 as the country transitions to the updated and rationalised curriculum support materials, as per the recommendations of the taskforce.”

Rationalisation saw reduction of the number of learning areas in lower primary from nine to seven while in upper primary, the subjects were reduced from 10 to eight.

Junior secondary school learning areas were scaled down from 14 to nine.

Kamau said the process of distributing text books for Grade 9 is progressing well with 80 per cent of the public primary schools having received the materials.

He said the remaining 20 per cent will be delivered by next week.

“CBC textbooks for Grade 9 learners are in the final stages of distribution to all public schools in line with the government policy of buying core textbooks to all learners to the ratio of one-to-one,” he said.