The Ministry of Education has released guidelines for rolling out grades Four to Six planned for January next year.
In a circular dated November 7 to regional directors of education, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the government will roll out the Competency Based Curriculum in Upper Primary in January 2020 in Grade Four followed by Grade Five in 2021 and Grade Six in 2022. He has directed all schools to be prepared.
The process started with Pre-Primary 1 and 2, Grade One, Two and Three in January.
The government started distributing books to all 22,000 public primary schools last month and will complete the process by the end of this month ahead of the Grade Four roll-out. In the guidelines, there will be eight lessons a day, with each going for 35 minutes.
The lessons include physical and health education, mathematics, English, Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language, science and technology, social studies, home science and agriculture.
SIX LESSONS
Pupils will also be able to choose between Christian Religious Education, Islamic Religious Education or Hindu Religious Education.
Other subjects include art and craft, music, pastoral programmes of instruction, indigenous languages and foreign languages such as German, French and Arabic. The subjects will be distributed into 40 lessons a week, with the frequently taught subjects having five lessons.
For special-needs education, learners will have six lessons a day, with each taking 35 minutes.
Special-needs learners include those with severe intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments, blindness, severe autism, severe cerebral palsy, multiple impairments and profound disability.
The learners will engage in communication, social and literacy skills, activities of daily living skills and religious education, sensory-motor integration, environmental activities, numeracy activities, creativities and psychomotor.
Special-needs learners include those with severe intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments, blindness, severe autism, severe cerebral palsy, multiple impairments and profound disability.
The learners will engage in communication, social and literacy skills, activities of daily living skills and religious education, sensory-motor integration, environmental activities, numeracy activities, creativities and psychomotor.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Dr Kipsang said English will be the languages of instruction for all learning areas except Kiswahili and indigenous and foreign languages.
He said the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Teachers Service Commission will identify public primary schools that will offer foreign and indigenous languages.
“Detailed implementation guidelines for foreign and indigenous languages will be issued to the identified public primary schools,” said Dr Kipsang.
For home science and agriculture, he said, they will be allocated one theory lesson and a double lesson for practical activities.
Science and technology will have two single lessons and a double for practical activities.
He said the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Teachers Service Commission will identify public primary schools that will offer foreign and indigenous languages.
“Detailed implementation guidelines for foreign and indigenous languages will be issued to the identified public primary schools,” said Dr Kipsang.
For home science and agriculture, he said, they will be allocated one theory lesson and a double lesson for practical activities.
Science and technology will have two single lessons and a double for practical activities.
PASTORAL PROGRAMMES
Pastoral programmes will be handled by a responsible member of a recognised religious faith within the school community that is legally registered in Kenya.
Schools are also required to ensure all learners participate in community service activities as guided in the curriculum designs.
Schools are also required to ensure all learners participate in community service activities as guided in the curriculum designs.
The enrolment of the curriculum will also embrace parental empowerment and engagements and schools should ensure core values are incorporated into the learning process across all learning areas in upper primary.
The PS has directed all schools to set aside the last two lessons of teaching time every Friday for teacher professional development activities.
“During this period learners should be allowed to interact with digital devices, library work, and radio and TV programmes aired by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development,” he said.