New Grading System Backed By Parents, Private Schools and KNUT
The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) has voiced its support for the adoption of a new grading system. Collins Oyuu, the Secretary General of Knut, emphasized that the current rigid approach to marking and assessing students has resulted in vacant college seats.
Oyuu pointed out that inflexible grading and admission criteria have posed challenges in enrolling students in specific colleges, particularly teaching colleges. He stressed that this new ideology seeks to integrate the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) into the existing 8-4-4 curriculum.
Oyuu also underlined the importance of remembering the reasons for transitioning from the 8-4-4 system, which had its drawbacks at each stage. The system left behind students who didn’t pass in Class Eight and continued the same pattern in Form Four, leading to university graduates lacking essential skills.
On a different note, Silas Obuhatsa, the Chairman of the National Parents Association, argued that these modifications should have been implemented for this year’s KCPE examinations. He believed that candidates should be graded in only three subjects instead of all five.
While expressing approval of these changes, they also hoped these modifications would extend to the KCPE examination, benefiting many students who faced potential failure in this crucial test.
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Professor Stephen Mbugua, Chairman of the Kenya Association of Private Universities, contended that this move would enhance access to higher education and increase enrollment in these institutions. He noted that private universities had seen declining enrollment since the introduction of a new university financing model that limited access to government-funded students.
Mbugua believed that an increase in the number of students qualifying for university admission would likely boost enrollment in both private and public universities, which is particularly crucial given the declining enrollment numbers in private universities.
Paul Wanjohi, an education expert, also weighed in on the reforms, stating that this model should have been adopted years ago as it aligns with the goals of the new curriculum to develop each learner’s potential.
New Grading System Backed By Parents, Private Schools and KNUT
