Presidential Education reforms taskforce to begin public engagement on Tuesday

The 42-member task force appointed by President William Ruto to evaluate the country's Education system and come up with recommendations will begin conducting public participation forums on Tuesday, November 1.

According to the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms Chairperson Prof. Raphael Munavu, the engagement forum will be conducted across the 47 counties from 8 am to 10 am from November 1 before concluding on Friday, November 11.

On November 1, the committee will conduct the exercise in Kwale, Taita Taveta, Marsabit, Nyandarua, Turkana, Kericho, Busia, Migori, Mandera and Samburu counties.

On Thursday, November 3, the committee will visit a number of secondary schools in Mombasa, Makueni, Nyeri, Elgeyo Marakwet, Bungoma, Nyamira and Homa Bay Counties.

The public participation forum exercise will continue on November 4 in Isiolo, Wajir and Laikipia Counties.

"Members of the public are requested to give their views either in writing or verbally to the Presidential Working Party on Education reforms based on the Terms of Reference as per the Kenya Gazette Notice No.11920," Munavu said in a notice on Friday.

On Monday, November 7, the exercise will continue in Kilifi, Kitui, Kirinyaga, Bomet, Trans Nzoia, Kakamega and Kisii Counties before the committee engages residents of Meru, Garissa and Baringo counties on November 8.

The committee will similarly engage relevant education stakeholders in Lamu, Embu, Muranga, West Pokot, Narok, Nandi and Siaya counties.

The exercise will conclude in Tana River, Machakos, Tharaka Nithi, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Kajiado, Vihiga, Kisumu, Nairobi and Nakuru counties on November 11.

President William Ruto, on September 30, 2022, appointed the 42-member taskforce to evaluate the country's Education system and come up with recommendations, key among them an appropriate structure to implement the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

President Ruto said the Working Party on Education Reform will work for a six-month period and will be required to submit to him a progress report every two months from the date of their appointment.

The team comprises of among others globally celebrated Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi, Mutheu Kasanga, who was part of the CBC task force as well as Prof Collins Odete among others.

The task force, which has also been assigned 7 secretaries, will study all laws governing the basic education subsector and make recommendations for review of the legislations with a view to addressing "duplication, ambiguities, efficiency, constraints and improving linkages."