CBC Textbook Crunch: Parents Rely on Old Books as New Grade 5 to 8 Textbooks Stall.
The Kenya Publishers Association has pledged that textbooks for Grades 5 to 8 will be ready by the end of January, addressing concerns raised by parents.
Many parents with children in private schools are awaiting the release of these new books, which will replace the older editions, requiring further financial investment.
During a press conference on Tuesday, January 7, the Chairperson of the Publishers Association emphasized that teachers and students can continue using the existing books until the new editions become available.
This reassurance follows an announcement by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) last Friday, indicating that learners in these grades would face delays in receiving the updated textbooks, even as schools resumed on Monday.
KICD stated that corrections on the books were still in progress and projected that most would be available by the end of January, with some expected in February. Parents and students have been encouraged to rely on the supplied materials in the interim.
Delays Linked to Curriculum Review
The current delays stem from recommendations made by Kenyans to improve the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
In 2023, the government of President William Ruto reviewed the CBC, resulting in significant changes.
The number of learning areas in lower primary was reduced from nine to seven, upper primary areas decreased from ten to eight, and junior secondary subjects were scaled back from fourteen to nine.
The CBC, introduced in 2019, has led to successive textbook updates, each requiring parents to bear the cost of new materials.
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In its initial rollout, books were provided for Grade 4 across thirteen learning areas. Subsequent years saw the release of books for Grade 5 in 2020, Grade 6 in 2021, Grade 7 in 2023, and Grade 8 in 2024.
Now, all these books are undergoing a process called rationalisation to align them with the revised curriculum.
Publishers Defend the Rationalisation Process
Publishers have justified the ongoing review, highlighting that it reflects the input of Kenyans from all 47 counties, collected by the Presidential Task Force.
They stated that the rationalisation process has guided the development of the new, streamlined textbooks, aligning them with the updated learning areas.
KICD has announced that textbooks for subjects such as Agriculture, Creative Arts and Sports, Integrated Science, Social Studies, and Pre-Technical Studies are anticipated to hit the market between now and April.
This phased release aims to ensure all learners have access to the revised materials in alignment with the updated CBC requirements.
CBC Textbook Crunch: Parents Rely on Old Books as New Grade 5 to 8 Textbooks Stall.
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