The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has limited the use of revision encyclopaedias in schools. It has urged publishers to reduce these materials to ease the burden on students. KICD CEO Charles Ong’ondo stated that these encyclopaedias offer little educational value. He emphasized that schools must only use KICD-approved books.
Ong’ondo highlighted that many encyclopaedias merely compile content. He labeled them as unnecessary and compared them to plagiarism. He insisted that schools should remove these books. KICD will not approve revision books for grades one to three, though it will allow them for pre-primary and higher levels.
KICD will also scrutinize foreign learning materials to ensure they align with Kenya’s curriculum values. Ong’ondo noted that exam paper compilations often lack government approval, but he still supports using approved reference books. He warned that unapproved materials, common in private schools, could jeopardize the schools’ registration.
Ong’ondo called on authorities to take strict action against publishers and schools that violate these guidelines. He stated that the Directorate of Quality Assurance and the Ministry of Education will lead this effort. He also criticized commercial exams for contradicting the competency-based curriculum (CBC) principles, which prioritize learning over testing expecting all books to reach schools by mid-December
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