Education Ministry stops implementation of report on CBC reforms

The Ministry of Education has stopped the implementation of a report by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform that was handed to President William Ruto.

In a detailed statement to the National Assembly, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Thursday told members of the committee that the recommendations by the task force led by  Prof Raphael Munavu will not take effect until the relevant laws have been passed.

While submitting the statement the House, Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro said the Education Ministry had noted the concerns previously raised by the legislators on the implementation of the report.

"I have taken note of the concerns of the members, and there are legislative proposals that we will bring to the House for your concurrence,” reads the statement from the Ministry in part.

“The implementation of the proposed reforms will not take effect up until the legislation process through this House will be complete,“ Osoro told the committee.

Last week, MPs accused the ministry of usurping the Parliament's powers by implementing the report by the Prof. Raphael Manavu-led Presidential task force without getting approval from the House.

The working party had made sweeping recommendations that would potentially change the learning system, and the implementation of several recommendations in line with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) had already kicked off.

However, the National Assembly is now raising concerns on how the recommendations are being implemented before coming to the House to be approved either as regulations or as substantial law. 

Standing on a point of order, Emukhaya MP Omboko Milemba claimed the recommendations made by the Prof Munavu-led team were against several laws and even the constitution and wanted the Speaker to make a ruling on why they are being implemented before the House approved them. 

“We want your direction so that people do not change the law or the constitution through the back door,” Milemba challenged Speaker Moses Wetangula.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo accused the Education Ministry of trying to circumvent the law, by not allowing Parliament or the courts to determine the legality of their recommendations."

"I am aware that not only is it a policy document that has not been crystallized into law, but they have purported to appoint an implementation committee which is already implementing it. It is not even considered if parliament will accept it into law or not,” he said.

Among the programs that had already been implemented following the Munavu task force recommendations include removing Junior Secondary School from high school to primary school, adopting a new grading system, a new funding model and rationalization of new learning areas.