This explainer is all
about the various functions of KICD and its role in Kenya’s evolving education
system.
Let’s start with the
basics.
What is KICD (Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development)?
KICD (Formerly KIE
-Kenya Institute of Education) is Kenya’s curriculum development hub- they
develop syllabuses and approve the curricula for practically everything that’s
taught in Kenya (except Universities).
KICD is a state
corporation and gets its mandate from the K.I.C.D Act No. 4 (2013) of the
Kenyan laws.
Besides curriculum
development (and review), KICD also researches and develops support materials
for the various curricula in addition to coming up with policies and other
relevant rules.
They also offer
consultancy services related to curricula at both the basic and tertiary levels
of education and training.
But what are the
specific functions of KICD?
Read on to discover
more about what KICD does including challenges facing KICD.
Functions of KICD: A complete outline
KICD delivers the
following services to various parties.
1. Issues advice to the Government on everything
relating to curriculum development
2. Evaluates, vets, and approves both local and
foreign curricula as well as curriculum support materials for use in Kenya in
the various levels of education/training.
3. Implements the relevant policies pertaining to
curriculum development at basic and tertiary levels of education and training.
4. Crafts, reviews, and approves curricula,
curriculum support materials, and programs that meet relevant international
standards for:
·
Early childhood
education, care, and development.
·
Pre-primary education.
·
Primary education.
·
Secondary education.
·
Adult, continuing, as
well as non-formal education.
·
Teacher education in
Kenya and training.
·
Special needs
education.
·
TVET (Technical &
vocational education and training).
5. Initiates and carries out research to inform
all curriculum policies, relevant review, and development.
6. Collects documentation and catalogs
information related to curricula, curriculum support, and various innovations
to establish a comprehensive data bank of the same and disseminates guiding
information to Kenya’s educational institutions, learners/students, and other
relevant institutions.
7. Prints, publishes and distributes
information/materials relating to the curricula for basic and tertiary
training/education.
8. Collaborates with other parties (individuals
and institutions) in organizing as well as conducting professional development
projects/programs for teachers, trainers, quality assurance (and standards)
officers and all other officials involved in the education and training
programs on curriculum topics and support materials.
9. Develops, disseminates, and communicates
programs and curricula support materials via mass media, e-learning (electronic
learning), distance learning, and other applicable modes of delivering
educational and training programs/materials
10. Promotes equity and ready access to quality
curricula in addition to curriculum support materials.
11. Promotes the appropriate application of technology
to enhance innovations and the achievement of a knowledge-based economy
12. Offers consultancy services as needed in basic
and tertiary training and education.
13. Incorporates national values, leadership
values, and talent in curriculum development
14. Receives, considers, improves, and reviews any
curriculum proposals.
KICD management and KICD organizational structure
This section looks at
the organizational structure of KICD and the management, as headed by the KICD
chairperson.
The institute headed
by a governing council. Their work is to offer strategic direction and to
supervise the management team.
The latter, led by the
director/CEO steers the day-to-day operations at KICD.
One of their most
important duties is to develop guidelines on critical issues such as the
curation of online curriculum content and any other areas touching on the KICD
curriculum development model.
Challenges faced by KICD
Having looked at the
structure of KICD, let’s now look at the problems that the organization
grapples with in the process of implementing the aforementioned functions of
KICD.
Overall, KICD faces
the following difficulties:
- Late disbursement of funds
- Lack of an elaborate planning
policy
- Problems in implementing the
published schemes of service for the staff.
- Inadequate financing.
- Sometimes they’re unable to
retain talented staff.
- Failure to meet the commitments
specified in their client service charter.
- Insufficient infrastructure (tools
& equipment’s).
- Poor and/or inadequate
continuous monitoring of the curriculum delivery.
- Failure to monitor &
evaluate the various KICD policies.
- Lack of an elaborate
communication policy as well as a marketing strategy.
- Slow and cumbersome procurement
procedures.
- Lack of a clear succession
planning policy.
There could be other
issues but these are the most dominant.
Functions of KICD: Frequently asked questions(FAQs)
Is KICD a parastatal?
Of course, yes.
KICD is a state
corporation charged with the responsibility of driving the curriculum
development process in Kenya and managing the curriculum review process in
Kenya among other functions.
It gets its authority
from a host of laws, legal, and policy documents including:
- The Constitution of Kenya(2010)
- The KICD No. 4 (2013)
- The Basic Education Act (2013)
- The Copyright Act 2011
- The Education Act (Cap. 211)
- The KNEC act (Cap 225 A) of
2013
- The TSC act 2012 – article 237
of the Kenyan constitution
- The Technical & Vocational
Education & Training Act 2013
- The State Corporations Act- Cap
446
- Various Education Sector
Reports
- Sessional paper 14 (2012)
- Kenya Vision 2030 -MTP 2
- NESP (National Education Sector
Plan) 2013–2018
- Legal notices:
- 105 (1976)
- 144 (1980)
- 126 (1984)
- 125 (2004)
- 55 (2007)
- 18 (2010)
- 120 (2010)
Also important for
internal control and engagement with various stakeholders are the published
KICD regulations and ethics.
These are developed
internally and include regulations on:
1. Accreditation of institutions in Kenya
2. Developing, Evaluation, and Vetting and
eventually the Approval of Non-Formal and Informal Learning Programs
3. Quality Assurance and standards
KICD direction and Contacts
Offices: Desai Road, Off Muranga Road, Nairobi,
Kenya. (Take any Mat applying Thika road and request to alight at KICD)
Telephone: 020 3749900-9 / 020 3749900-3 /0729 327
334 /0787 883 311
Email: info@kicd.ac.ke
Website: https://kicd.ac.ke/
Wrapping it up
As you have seen,
among the core functions of KICD is overseeing all the stages of curriculum
development in Kenya and conducting continuous curriculum development research.
That means KICD is the
right body to channel any questions on CBC curriculum together with
stakeholders like the ministry of education and the active examination bodies
in Kenya.
They also disseminate
information about all matters relating to curriculum research, development, and
support materials through online and electronic media such as the KICD Edu
channel.