I am a teacher. Inevitably, I am going to talk about the questions that this journey of this new education system (it wasn't just a curriculum) raises about our politics.
1. Our need for a superman: Fred Matiang'i had no idea what he was doing with the new system. Kenyans just believed him because of his rhetorical style, and our belief that a zealous man is necessarily an efficient one.
We have been warned again and again about Matiang'i's theatrics. @LarryMadowo wrote a very good piece about them, but we wouldn't listen. We Kenyans often confuse entertainment for leadership, and we've seen what that has done for our friends in the US. nation.co.ke/lifestyle/dn2/…
2. Our elitism: deep down, we subscribe to the elitist selection of the 3%, and so we don't care what education we get, as long as we can go through it and get selected. We criticize inequality in political appointments and elections, but when it comes to education ....
When it comes to education, we accept what is thrown at us. That is why middle class parents went ahead and bought books, would not add their voice to our questions. Yet they knew and could see that the teachers of the kids had no idea what they were supposed to do. That is 😮ing
3. Our blindness to the emotional aspects of politics: because they love their kids, Kenyans are so trusting, so trusting of government when it comes to education, that they didn't want to deal with the fact that GoK was not properly prepared to start a new system.
We need to stop being too emotionally swayed that we can't see the facts. We need to learn to switch off our hearts enough to listen to the details of the education, but switch off our minds to care about the kids. We have to be wise as serpent and as gentle as doves
4. Our belief that the words of GoK are the same as the actions of Gok: we seemed not to get that people in GoK and politics say what WE want to hear. We should have known something was off when the new system appeared to fulfill all our dreams about jobs, exams and arts
5. Our belief in the anti-8-4-4 propaganda: Kenyans have swallowed the bile against 8-4-4 without really questioning whether that bile is deserved. Yet most of the problems attributed to 8-4-4 have nothing to do with schools. If anything, schools are the victims of the problem
Cramming and exam cheating is a product of poor transition opportunities. Unemployment is not caused by wrong degrees but by a poor economy. Even if we changed the system, we would have remained with those problems because they were not educational ones nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/E…
Our thinking of social issues is woefully simplistic. We're very good at understanding the intrigues with elections and political parties. But when it comes to education, health, transport and other sectors, we accept very simplistic conversations from government.
6. Our need for spectacular quick results: We believed that a system replacement was what good because the optics were good. But if we swallow quick fixes, things will definitely go wrong. We have to accept that education cant be fixed in one or two years nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/P…
There is a lot of good research students and faculty have done on our education. Our teachers have good insights. We could have used that and improved our our education for much less than what a system replacement costs. But it would have been slower and less flashy than we like
We must see our governance in the long term and stop accepting quick wins and spectacular results that are superficial. That desperation is for politicians because they want to use those to get supported and elected. We must tell them to slow down and demand lasting gains
Finally, I am not happy that MoE put a pause on the new system. I am relieved. I just hope that all of us Kenyans can learn from this experience, and be more disciplined in our expectations, and demand thoughtful, deep rooted reforms.
