K
enya is an East African country and its capital is Nairobi. The beauty of Kenya is indescribable with many wildlife sanctuaries. Kenya is also at the forefront of education in Africa. In 2017, the education system of Kenya was rated as the strongest on the African continent by the World Economic Forum. Today, we will discuss in detail the educational policies in Kenya.
Notably, the education system of Kenya followed the 8-4-4 model with eight years of basic education, four years of secondary education and a four-year degree programme. This model replaced the 7-4-2-3 programme in 1985. But, in 2017, Kenya for the second time in history introduced a new education system – Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). It replaced the traditional 8-4-4 programme launched by the late President Moi in 1985. The existing education system of Kenya is divided into three categories, namely primary education, secondary education, and higher education. Let’s see it in more detail.
• Primary /basic education – This is a cycle that is divided into primary (levels 1-3), intermediate (levels 4 and 5) and tertiary (levels 6-8). At the end of the primary cycle, students take the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), which is administered by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) under the Department of Education. The purpose of these tests is to measure and refer students to high schools and technical schools. Students who do well get access to national high schools, while those with higher grades go to provincial schools.
• Secondary education – The second cycle lasts for four years and is organized into two phases of two years each. At the end of the fourth year, students take the KNEC exams, which lead to the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The purpose of this examination is to apply for university admissions and training at other institutions of higher education in the fields of technology.
There are currently 30 courses available at the secondary education level. And, they are divided into six learning areas, including languages (English, Kiswahili, Arabic, German, and French), science (mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology), applied sciences (home science, agriculture, and computer science), Ubuntu (history, geography, religious education, life skills and business studies), creative arts (music, art and design), and technical studies (drawing and design, architecture, energy and machinery, metalwork, aviation, wood, and electronics).
• Higher education – Over the years, there has been a significant development in the higher education system of Kenya. Looking at 2005, there were only five public universities but now a major change in the field of education has put at least 30 new universities with a well-planned and well-executed strategy. Growth in the university sector has also been largely due to the development and improvement of existing colleges. In addition, there are 17 private universities and 14 public and private colleges in the university. The other 14 institutions have provisional authority documents to operate. All of the above have the authority to award degrees.
If you look at admission to universities, then the entry of public universities is regulated by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service, established in 2014 to replace the Joint Admission Board.
So, this is under the education framework in Kenya and how the education system of Kenya works. Kenya’s education system is still developing and trying to make use of the resources that will enable Kenyan children to become better producers of the future. The emphasis on education is on the rise, which is a good sign for developing countries.
For more detail about Sharda University visit www.sharda.ac.in
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