Teachers can not be replaced by online educational programmes- KICD says

Teachers play a pivotal role in curriculum delivery and can not be replaced by online educational programmes. These are sentiments held by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, KICD. This is relation to queries raised over the suitability of the online programmes and if they can indeed be a possible replacement of physical teaching at school.

But, the KICD has come clear saying teachers’ work can not easily be replaced by online delivered lessons.

“The alternative curriculum delivery modes are not meant to replace the teacher but to compliment the work of a teacher,” KICD clarifies.

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Various stake holders have been raising concern over the uptake (by learners) of the online lessons that are being run by the KICD. A number of  educational programmes  have been developed by KICD to support learners while at home; as schools continue to be shutdown to curb spread of the deadly Corona virus disease. The programmes are run on a daily basis via radio, television, YouTube and Kenya Education Cloud (KEC).

Amani National Congress, ANC, party leader Musalia Mudavadi says the assertions by the Education Ministry that (online) learning is ongoing are misleading.

“We have heard government officials say that learning is going on, online. They have also said that national examinations will go on, as was scheduled at the start of the year. We don’t know of any packages of measures that the ministry has made for parents, teachers and learners to facilitate, equalize and monitor home learning. Without clearly defined and equitable state-owned and state-facilitated learning packages, it is misleading and even mischievous to claim that learning is going on. It is not,” says Mudavadi.

“Not every learner has access to radio or TV and less still to the internet. Even those who can physically access these facilities are challenged with the COSTS of activating them. Let us not cheat ourselves,” he adds.

While, noting that the said programmes are only meant to supplement work done by teachers, KICD says the programmes are more suitable especially now that learners can’t go to school as a result of the ‘Stay at Home’ order.

“The programmes are not meant to match what a teacher does does in class but to add value to the learners’ quest for konwledge, skills (and) values while at home. In this situation where most learners have no direct access to the teacher, the interactive radio and e-learning lessons are the available curriculum delivery modes, especially in the condition of ‘stay at home’,” KICD explains.

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