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The Implementing National Curriculum Reforms through App-based learning for school leaders in Secondary Education (INCREASE) project was officially launched in November 2022. INCREASE is aimed at building the capacity of school leaders in junior schools to support the effective implementation of the competency-based curriculum (CBC). It is through the INCREASE project that VVOB and KEMI jointly developed the ESL4JS course, which seeks to strengthen school leaders' instructional leadership competences, thus enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the competency-based curriculum framework and its implications for teaching and learning.
So far, 96% of the 175 school leaders in the first cohort of the blended ESL4JS training have concluded their face-to-face sessions, awaiting assessment of their e-portfolios and certification in the next few weeks. These school leaders have expressed increased confidence in their capacity to steer CBC reform in their schools and to support their teachers to implement CBC in junior schools. With the second cohort running up to August 2024, the ESL4JS course will reach an additional 470 school leaders with requisite competencies, skills and knowledge critical for the effective implementation of CBC.
Role of School Leaders in CBC Implementation
During the onboarding events, school leaders were reminded of the critical role they played in ensuring that the aspirations of CBC are attained. “As headteachers, you are the core implementers of education, junior schools and CBC. Ensure that you transform your teachers’ mindsets from the 8-4-4 system of education to CBC,” stated Dr. Joyce Oweke, Education and Quality Assurance Specialist at the Ministry of Education. She was representing the Regional Director of Education, Rift Valley, during the Nakuru event. The CBC is designed to be learner-centred, allowing a personalised approach to learning, with learners learning at their own pace and pursuing their individual needs and interests. This is significantly different from the 8-4-4 system, which focused largely on academics and rote learning, thus denying learners opportunities to develop critical skills and values necessary for character formation. Further, evidence from various studies pointed to curriculum overloads and overlaps in the 8-4-4 system, as well as inadequate infrastructure to develop skills through practical approaches, hence the need for education reforms that would emphasise on the development of relevant competencies, values for character formation, psychosocial competencies, provision of infrastructure, adoption of learner-centred pedagogies and restructuring the examination process.
On his part, Henry Nyakundi, an official from Nyamira County assured the school leaders that CBC was a matter that they were consistently addressing at university level, to ensure they produce teachers ready for the new curriculum. “The current pupils are not the same ones we had. Your sons & daughters understand technology better than you. As teachers, our students are far ahead of us; university students are more technologically advanced than lecturers. So, for CBC – are we producing a teacher for this generation? Are you yourselves CBC compliant?” he asked.
His sentiments were echoed by VVOB in Kenya’s Country Programmes Manager Claire Mazin, who encouraged school leaders to be creative in how they deliver on CBC. “Kenya has been in the forefront of innovation and quality education with its engagement into the competencies-based-curriculum reforms. Through the ESL4JS course, you will be equipped to support the next generations to be agile to the demands and aspirations of a changing world- a critical component of CBC,” she said. She further lauded the school leaders for taking the challenge of adopting a new blended approach to training that would mark a different learning experience for them, thus help them make a difference in their respective schools, while being flexible to their busy schedules.
Opportunities in CBC Implementation
Development of the ESL4JS course was based on a 2022 Training Needs Assessment that had revealed that 82.7% of secondary school leaders and 70.7 % of primary school leaders did not feel adequately capacitated to mentor and support teachers on all components of the CBC curriculum. Further, the study also revealed that majority of school leaders (65.2% in primary and 80.2% in secondary) were not confident in mentoring and supporting teachers on CBC curriculum design. The ESL4JS was thus designed to equip school leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the challenges and opportunities associated with the rollout and implementation of the CBC.
The ESL4JS course, which incorporates a blend of learning methodologies, provides school leaders with a comprehensive learning experience through online self-paced learning, extended learning activities, and face-to-face learning sessions. Among the topics covered in this training include: The Blended Learning Approach; Digital Literacy for Learning; CBC Implementation; Effective Resource Management for Implementation of CBC in Junior Schools; Learner Support Programmes; Learner and Teacher Welfare, and Institutional Governance.
It is expected that by the end of the INCREASE project in 2026, close to 1,200 junior school leaders will have strengthened skills on instructional leadership to steer curricular reform, KEMI will host, moderate and redevelop (based on user experiences) the KEMI App for junior school leaders on instructional leadership, Junior school leaders will provide the necessary pedagogical support to their teachers to foster the effective implementation of the CBC through school-based continuous professional development programmes, and that the Ministry of Education will have an evidence-base to institutionalise blended modalities of CPD for school leaders.
