Just days before the January 6, 2025 reopening of schools, parents, teachers and other education stakeholders do not yet know which course books to buy or use.
Just days before the January 6, 2025 reopening of schools, parents, teachers and other education stakeholders do not yet know which course books to buy or use, many blaming the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) for not giving them direction.
KICD has not yet released the approved list of course books for Grades Five, Six, Seven and Eight. The institute, however, insists that there is no crisis on textbooks in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), adding that they are “available in schools and open markets”.
“There are textbooks for all learning areas from PP1 to Grade Nine,” KICD Director Charles Ong’ondo said.
He, however, added that Grade Seven and Eight books for certain learning areas “have only just been completed”.
“The books are not yet fully ready for students and teachers to use as they need to be checked for mistakes, corrected and printed before being made available for purchase and distribution,” Prof Ong’ondo said.
The affected learning areas are agriculture, creative arts and sports and pre-technical studies.
Course materials for Grades One to Four, Grade Nine, PP1 and PP2 are not affected.
A frustrated parent in Lodwar, Turkana County, said he cannot buy books without because KICD has not released the approved list.
Under the CBC, the list of approved books is mandatory.
Teachers and parents rely on these materials to align with the demands of the curriculum, which stresses particular skills.
With the delay, many schools are unable to prepare for the term adequately, risking disruptions to lesson plans once children arrive in school, a headteacher told the Sunday Nation.
School administrators are equally concerned, saying that without timely access to approved texts, teaching and learning may face hurdles.
“CBC is based on structured guidance. Without these materials, we will begin the academic year on a wrong footing,” the headteacher said.
Prof Ong’ondo said the delayed books would be in schools and on shelves from February 2025 after correction of errors and printing by publishers.
“After the release of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform report on August 1, 2023, curriculum designs had to be rationalised before the books could be printed and released. The curriculum designs were rationalised in December this year. That is the reason for the slight delay in Grade Seven and Eight books in the said learning areas,” he said.
“Rationalised”, he added, refers to streamlining or reorganising the learning areas (subjects or curriculum content) to make them more efficient, relevant or aligned with specific educational goals.
It could involve merging related subjects, reducing overlap or focusing on core competencies to improve education quality and delivery.
At the same time, there is an acute shortage of French and other foreign language books in schools.
This comes after KICD contracted a company to print a million copies of French textbooks that were not needed. Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu had flagged the contract and doubted if it brought any benefits.
“In the circumstances, value for money may not have been realised from the purchase of excessive course textbooks, failure to adapt books for special students and delays in delivery of books to schools,” Ms Gathungu had said.
However, KICD said French – like other foreign languages – is no longer a compulsory subject in Grades One to Nine.
Prof Ong’ondo said the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms report recommended a reduction in learning areas.
“We have advised schools that are offering the subjects to let KICD know through the Ministry of Education so that we may know the number of textbooks to distribute,” the KICD boss said.
“This is also the case for other foreign languages. The institute has approached partners, including the French Embassy, to support in the supply of French textbooks.”
