Mobile resource centre offers lifeline to CBE learners

The pioneer Grade 10 class has been among the hardest hit, with many learners, especially in remote parts of the country, completing junior school without ever stepping into a science laboratory or conducting a single practical lesson.

Now, an innovative portable resource centre is bringing the laboratory to learners, offering a possible solution to the challenge as education stakeholders urge the government to scale up the initiative.

Inside what appears to be an ordinary shipping container is a fully equipped learning space designed to bring practical lessons closer to schools that do not have laboratories. Although privately developed, education stakeholders say the facility offers a practical solution to a national challenge.

They argue that no learner should be disadvantaged under CBE simply because of where they go to school or their lack of access to hands-on learning facilities.

"We have been receiving children from far and wide across Kenya, and sometimes they need to travel overnight and book accommodation just to come and have an experience at our resource centre. We thought it was an opportunity to have a portable facility," stated Duncan Arimi, Director, Gravity CBE Resource Centre.

The container, which has been stationed at the Kenya National Examinations Council headquarters for weeks, is stocked with learning materials from all three educational pathways, providing learners with a practical, real-world experience that brings classroom concepts to life.

"A lot of people think that to offer technical studies, you need a big structural building, but what we are showcasing is just an introduction where we use locally available and improvised materials," stated Arimi.

The container is a replica of a physical resource centre that is attracting learners and teachers from across the country.

Today, learners from Kipkeino School in Uasin Gishu County joined others from Kisumu County and other regions, underscoring the growing demand for practical learning facilities.

"CBC is practical in nature and gives learners and teachers the opportunity to come out of the classroom. You see now we have used a lot of resources and spent a lot of time traversing counties to come and see this facility in Nairobi," stated Felician Chumo, Headteacher, Kipkeino School.

"When we arrived, we thought it was just a small facility, but we have learnt a lot. We have moved from room to room and this place has a lot of information on CBE. Because we have only one day, we cannot finish everything today. We wish this could be brought nearer to Eldoret so that many people can access it," stated Joseph Nyongesa, Deputy Headteacher, Kipkeino School.

Education stakeholders are urging the government to expand portable resource centres, saying they could help bridge the practical learning gap between urban and rural schools under the Competency-Based Education system.

"Having been in the old system and now in the new system, I can say this is the way to go. There are no two ways about it. The government only needs to support schools with more facilities," stated Nyongesa.

"When we get talented innovators coming up with such facilities, they should be supported so that similar centres can be established in different parts of the country. If people are coming all the way from Mombasa, there are many expenses involved. If we had such facilities in Mombasa, there would be significant savings," stated Dr. Paul Wanjohi, Director, Sharp Education Centre.

Arimi revealed that the initiative is already working closely with government agencies and county governments to expand access.

"We have partnerships with the Ministry of Education, which also conducts quality checks for us. We are also in discussions with county governments and are planning to roll out this mobile centre to Homa Bay County in the coming week," stated Arimi.

Ultimately, expanding laboratories and embracing innovative solutions could ensure that every learner, regardless of location, has an equal opportunity to acquire the practical skills at the heart of CBE.