Matiang’i signals end of 8-4-4 system, announces roll out 2-6-3-3 structure

Education CS Fred Matiang’i has signaled the end of the 8-4-4 education system.

Addressing a national conference on curriculum reforms at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) Nairobi, Matiang’i said that the government has undertaken diligence research and availed requisite resources to introduce a new education curriculum.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has proposed a 2-6-3-3 education system to take over from 8-4-4 system which has been in deployment since 1985.

KICD will test the new system in 470 pilot schools country wide, starting May this year.

Depending on the reviews and recommendations of the pilot programme, the Ministry of Education is planned to start rolling out the system in phases starting from pre-primary school and lower primary school classes in 2018.

The new system proposes to scrap national examinations and instead emphasize on continuous assessments and holistic development of learners.

Early Childhood Education (ECD) will also be recognised under the new system, with learners being required to spend two years in ECD centres before joining primary schools.

CS Matiang’i refuted claims that his ministry is hastily deploying the new system, saying they have put in measures to ensure sustainability of the system. He added that plans were in place to review the system every 5 years.

Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is tasked with implementation of policy document, and they are required to recommend on pupil assessment plans.

Touching on the August 8 polls, Matiang’i ordered county directors of education to ensure that learning in schools is not disrupted during the electioneering period.

“County directors should not allow children to stand by the road as politicians continue with voters mobilization, they should be in class,” said Matiang’i.

Matiang’i assured parents that the government is devoted to creating a conductive learning environment in schools.

This announcement comes barely a month after the Education Ministry released the 2016 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results – exams that had pupils scoring significantly lower marks than previous years.

Only 15% of the 577,079 candidates who sat for the high school exit exam scored between A and C+, with the Ministry saying that their efforts to stamp out exam theft resulted in the drop in performance.

CS Matiang’i announced a raft of changes in the education sector, one of them being s shift from the standardised national exams. The CS explained that the excess focus on one assessment criteria was one of the factors that led to extensive rot in the previous national exams.