Piloting of the new education system that was proposed by the Education Ministry has started in various selected schools across the country. The 2-6-3-3-3 curriculum system is set to replace the current 8-4-4 system which has been criticized for being exam-oriented and has also been in place since 1985.
“The system will see education in Kenya take another direction, a positive one in fact. The 2-6-3-3-3 system will see students spend two years in pre-primary, six years in primary, three years in junior secondary, three years in senior secondary and finally three years in a tertiary institution,” stated Madam Nancy Mugo from All Saints Cathedral Kindergarten.
She stated that learners in the early stage of pre-unit up to standard three are targeted for the piloting of the curriculum that will end this academic year. She added that the roll-out of the new curriculum is part of education reforms that aim to see learners examined through continuous assessment as proposed to a single national examination.
“The system will allow pupils to interact with each other. It will be skills-oriented other than exam oriented, students will be able to acquire all-round skills ranging from sports, academics, choir etc. The students will be judged on how they will be displaying their skills, not just exam performance,” she said.
The system will also allow specialization for students, given that at senior secondary, students will go for subjects they find best suits them.
The current system allows students to choose University or College courses after attaining the required cluster points obtained from all the seven subjects done in the Kenya Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, even though some poorly graded subjects may not be related to the particular course at all.