Ms Kasanga has been at the pinnacle of education advocacy and lobbying for the past eight (8) years. Our Editor, Priscilla Kerebi spent some time with the educator to gain insights into the person and her contributions to the sector. Who is Mutheu Kasanga? I am an educationist having been in the sector for the past two decades. My passion for education has afforded me the opportunity to be at the helm of Kenya Private Schools Association and Kenya Private Sector Alliance for the past 5 years. It has been both exciting and challenging but mostly I have learned quite a bit on the policy and management of the sector. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? Knowing that what I do provides opportunities for children to access education and succeed in their pursuit of quality education. I WOULD IMAGINE AFTER 5 YEARS AS CHAIR OF KPSA YOU HAVE HAD MANY ACHIEVEMENTS. WHICH ONES STAND OUT FOR YOU ? The roll out of the current competency based curriculum,being the single biggest event in education in Kenya the CBC, where children are engaging with the curriculum from inception into school in a trickle up manner unlike the 8-4-4 curriculum which was introduced at out at exit. I have experienced growth in the Association which has increased its national footprint to all 47 counties. The Association has also been represented in all government endevours to ensure inclusivity. The National Executive Committee has been passionate about partnerships and collaborations both locally and in the Global arena. The global collaborations include GESS, who hosted their 1st Leaders in Education Summit in Nairobi, Kenya in partnership with KPSA. In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, the Association was the only private partner included in the Global online learning Alliance, GOLA to strengthen education technology. Similar interventions with Global Peace…

The Republic of Kenya has made significant progress in the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) that was rolled out two years ago (January, 2019), in Pre-Primary 1 and 2 and Grades 1, 2 and 3. Competency Based Education is an organizational or systems approach to schooling and learning where students progress, mainly based on the demonstration of what they know and can do. The approach allows learners to advance based on their ability to master a competency. It is tailored to meet different learning abilities and can result to better learning outcomes besides promoting a holistic approach in learning. What informed the shift to CBC? The international standards set by International Bureau of Education (IBE) of UNESCO recommends that a curriculum ought to be reviewed every five years; to align it with emerging societal expectations besides, ensuring quality standards are maintained. Kenya has had several Commissions on Education since independence to respond to the country’s changing needs. Each Commission recommended different policies but, most of them stressed on a curriculum that would help learners to gain practical skills and competencies for self-reliance. The summative evaluation of the 8-4-4 curriculum (KIE, 2009) indicated that the system of education was too academic and examination oriented; the curriculum was over¬loaded; most schools were not adequately provided with equipped workshops to facilitate learning of practical skills and the teachers were not sufficiently trained. The other observation was that candidates completing secondary schools did not acquire adequate entrepreneurial skills for self-reliance resulting to high unemployment and risk of emergence of social vices such as crime, drug abuse and anti-social behavior. There were no flexible education pathways for identifying and nurturing aptitudes, talents and interests of learners. The other shortcoming was the emphasis on summative assessment (assessment of learning), which meant that majority of…