Seal Gaps in Implementing CBE

By PURITY NGESA

Second Year BA Journalism and Mass Communication Student,   Chuka University 

In 2017, the Kenyan government introduced C.B.C. known as Competence Based Curriculum to replace the outdated 8-4-4 curriculum.

It was designed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. It was very smooth at first because very few grades had been introduced. At the moment, it was very manageable and promising both to the schools and parents. Its main focus is to shift education from exam-based rote learning to a more holistic, skills-oriented approach. 

It is set to address the perceived failures of the previous system. It focuses on developing specific skills such as collaboration and communication, critical thinking, creativity, citizenship, and digital literacy. Apart from developing skills, C.B.C. is meant to nurture talent, where it provides flexible pathways in Senior School (STEM, Social Sciences or Arts and Sports) so students can specialize based on their unique interests and strengths.

On April 24, 2025, Kenya Ministry of Education shifted the branding and framework from the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) to Competency Based Education (C.B.E.). Among the reasons for the shifting are: system-wide reform, where it not only teaches, but also deliver, assess and support. There is senior school preparation where the transition of the first C.B.E. cohort into Senior School in January 2026, must choose specific career pathways.

The introduction of the system brought about both optimism and intense frustration over its implementation. Parents thought of the financial burdens: described as financial costs, such as buying numerous textbooks, printing materials and sourcing specific items for practical projects. High-profile legal challenges were filed, most notably by the former LSK President Nelson Havi, who argued that the system was unconstitutional and experimenting with children's future.

The reaction is also split by economic class. While some middle-class parents on private schools feel the burden of buying items, parents in low income or rural areas struggle with digital illiteracy requirements and the lack of basic infrastructure (like labs and electricity) in their schools. There is a sense of hope among some that the system would better prepare students for the real world by identifying and nurturing individuals’ talents early.

Schools are also not left behind.  Most public schools have been struggling more than private schools due to a lack of state investment.  Many schools are overcrowded, lack specialized facilities required for the system and the decision to domicile Junior Secondary Schools(JSS) in primary school compounds created further strain and on existing sanitation and classroom facilities. 

Private schools often adapt more smoothly, leveraging their existing resources to market themselves as C.B.C. is ready. Better resourced private schools invested heavily in ICT, practical leaning tools and smaller class sizes leading to better student engagement. Those that complied early with the broader C.B.E. standards reportedly gained a competitive edge in national assessments.

Teachers had mixed reactions too. As the primary implementers, they expressed deep-seated concerns despite seeing values in the new approach. Majority of teachers were feeling that the 5-7 day workshops were too short and hurried to master the complex new system. The Kenya National Union of Teachers(KNUT) was initially vocal critic with leaders like Wilson Sossion, calling it elitist and foreign experiment.

Currently, everyone is in state of cautious adaptation as the system shifts into high stakes senior school phase. While students are the most positive-reporting higher engagement and excitement over talent based pathways, the adults are feeling the strain: parents continue to judge the financial and time heavy demands of co-teaching, teachers are battling burnout from massive increases in paperwork and the pressure of managing large classes with limited resources. Schools are scrambling to build the labs and specialized facilities needed for the new tracks, often relying on improvisation and community support to bridge the gap between the curriculum’s ambitious goals and the reality of the infrastructure available.