AGEYO'S ANGLE: The president and CBC, the tough lessons at last – but who’s learning?

I say, he began because there is so much to be said about CBC that his Mashujaa Day speech, merely scratched the surface. But I begin with some praises because the president spoke about one of the most pressing matters on CBC, namely: infrastructure. 

As we have noted here many times before, the country is headed towards a transition stampede in 2023, when the first CBC cohort will be moving to junior secondary school at the same time with the current class six learners in the 8.4.4 system. 

This will usher in an additional one million to 1.5 million learners into the same secondary schools that we know today. That is why the president directed his officers to begin the process of ensuring there are an additional 10,000 classrooms to meet part of this demand.

Now, while this is a commendable first step, it is still a far cry from what will really be needed in 2023. 10,000 classrooms will be able to accommodate just about 500,000 learners, translating to just about half of the extra students, if not less.

The president’s call to MPs to prioritize education in their CDF allocation could help but then it will largely depend on what the MPs are thinking. What’s more, the president did not put any timelines to the construction, opening the system to further delays. But beyond the classrooms, huge challenges remain and perhaps the president should have gone further. 

For instance, given the practical nature of CBC, what other facilities are needed to make the system work? How are we preparing for the other transition from junior secondary to senior secondary, which is also just a few years away? Are the senior secondary schools properly in place? Do they have adequate facilities for the specialization that will be needed once the learners get to grade 10, or pathways as they are called? Or are we going to wait until the eve of that transition in order to enter another mad rush?

Then there is the question of teachers. By many estimates, there is a teacher deficit of anything between 80,000 to 100,000 teachers in this country. What are we doing to ensure that we get more teachers into the system, beyond that plan for interns? I mean, what are extra classrooms without extra teachers? And how can we achieve the custom-made nature of CBC if we don’t have an adequate number of teachers? Further, up until now, there are still complaints that some teachers are yet to receive the training on how to handle this new curriculum.

What about parents? Do they truly know that their role has been expanded with this new curriculum? Has anyone taken the time to ensure parents get proper orientation on how to make this system work? Ladies and gentlemen, there is a famous saying where I come from that starting early is better than going to the witch doctor. Those sages from my village knew that real results come from good planning and that no amount of abracadabra could save one from the natural consequences of poor planning.

That is why the preparations for CBC must go beyond the current shortcomings. We must now think about the entire chain and ask: beyond the changes in pre-primary and primary school, what reforms are happening in high schools? How prepared are the high school teachers to receive the first CBC cohort in less than two years’ time? And what about the universities? Are they getting ready or just waiting to deal with the crisis when it gets to their doorsteps?

Nonetheless, the president has begun the conversation and from here on, his officers at all levels must get to work, after all, it is difficult to think of a more important issue. This is the system that will produce the next set of doctors to treat us when we are sick, the teachers to continue imparting knowledge on our children, the engineers to build our roads and the plumber to keep the water flowing...I could go on, but my point is made. That we have a date with destiny…the very future of our nation is at stake and if we don’t learn the lessons and make amends, not even CBC can save us.