Benefits of 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya
With comparison with the moribund 8-4-4 Education System in Kenya, the Benefits of 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya out-weigh the former with a very big margin.
After the mutilation of the 8-4-4 system we as Kenyans have no other option but to embrace the Benefits of 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya with both hands and never let go. But a point of caution is that don’t embrace and sleep on it but nurture it like a baby toddler until it comes of age.
Yes, problems will always be there but our strength will be measured during this transition period which will be marred with severe challenges, Yes, very severe challenges that will make some people to say it is better to revert back to 8-4-4. Even the people of Israel suffered in the wilderness and begged God to take them back to Egypt. But lets focus on the medium and the long term future i.e. after 15 years and thereafter.
Know the 2-6-3-3-3 Education in Kenya
Basic Education (14 years)
- Two years of Pre- Primary,
- Six years of primary (three years lower and three years upper primary),
- Six years secondary (three years junior and three years senior),
Higher Education (3 years)
Two years minimum of middle level colleges and for those going to University three years minimum.
The Structure has two cycles
- Basic Education cycle of 14 years which is supposed to be free and compulsory according to the Basic Education Act and
- Higher Education cycle of 3 years.
2-6-3-3-3 Education System Rollout Plan in Kenya
The rollout plan for the proposed curriculum structure will be done in phases where if, for example, it is endorsed and implementation starts in 2018, the last Kenya Certificate of Primary Education candidates will be examined in 2018 and the last Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations will be in 2021.
Implementation could start in Standard One and Standard Four in 2018 while Standard Five, Six and Seven are prepared for junior secondary in 2018.
The first class would sit the first junior secondary examination in 2020.
The structure will also focus on early identification and nurturing of talent in learners at the end of the
junior secondary phase.
It allows specialisation at the end of junior secondary; introduce a system of Competence Assessment Tests (CATs) measuring knowledge, skills and competencies, the results of which will be cumulative and form part of a formative assessment process, the credits from which will be accumulated in the summative assessment at the end of each phase.
This is distinct from the current situation where students either pass or fail and exit the system.
Expected Recommendations for rollout of 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya
The 8-4-4 Education review taskforce has also recommended that the Kenya National Examinations Council be renamed the Kenya Educational Assessment Council (KEAC) and strengthened to address all matters related to management and administration of assessments.
CATs by teachers are to be supported with a national framework, guidelines or test-bank by KEAC to be
made available online on a regular basis. This will make the CATs standard and de-emphasise the many private examination papers being sold all over the country.
The proposed curriculum could introduce a shorter primary cycle and a longer secondary school cycle
and shift from a subject-based system to a competence-based curriculum.
This will provide the opportunity to set standards against which learners will be assessed taking into consideration the individual interests, abilities and talents.
Now let us outline the mega Benefits of 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya
The 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya will focus on robust Early Childhood Development
In the currrent 8-4-4 System, a baby as young as 3 years old starts being bombarded with English, Mathematics and other co-curricular subjects. This disorients the child and makes him/her a book warmer from the very beginning.
The first two (2) years of the 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya will start imparting life morals and ethics that will mould the child to be a responsible and proud citizen. Life skills are of paramount importance at this stage.
The 8-4-4 Education System in Kenya is Examination Oriented
The 8-4-4 system has been tried, tested and confirmed that it is examination centered. Students only go to school to pass exams so that they can get employed. They do not consider knowledge acquisition as a thing of paramount importance.
The 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya will end this menace because tests will be performed continuously and progressively. The teacher will not be graded on how the student performed in the exams but on how competent the student is in the field that the student identifies as his favourite.
The 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya will be guiding the child towards his/her strengths
During the six (6) years after the Early Childhood Development stage, the child will be introduced to academics as well as other disciplines that will be in the curriculum. These are disciplines that will be identified as benefiting the young kids.
The teachers will be paying close attention to the child’s demeanour from where they will be able to gauge his/her strengths and weaknesses. They will encourage the pupils to put extra effort towards where their strengths lie.
The 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya will have specialization
During the next six (6) years after the primary level (3 years Junior and 3 years Senior Secondary) where the students have already been fully imparted with the basic knowledge academically, socially, mentally, religiously and physically, they will now start working upon realizing which among the several strengths they have identified is fit for a career.
The curriculum will have the learning outcomes that measure the students grasp of the tenets of each career path as per their strengths.
The teachers will then mould the student towards the career path they have identified in the student. The student will now be ripe for final specialization in Polytechnic, University, Sports Academies, Professional Colleges etc.
Final Comments about Benefits of 2-6-3-3-3 Education System in Kenya
With this education system we will no longer have
- High earning athletes or sportsmen and women who cannot speak in English or Swahili
- Students and teachers colluding to cheat in examination
- Torturous tuition during holidays which deny students chance to engage in other important life activities that the holiday was meant for in the first place.
