KPA ASSURES FULL AVAILABILITY OF CBC TEXTBOOKS FOR GRADE 9 LEARNERS BY MID-JANUARY.
BY BRENDA ASUGU.
The Kenya Publishers Association (KPA) has confirmed the availability of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) textbooks for Grade 9 learners, assuring parents, teachers, and stakeholders that the full distribution will be completed by January 13, 2025.
According to a press release issued by KPA, over 80% of the Grade 9 textbooks covering subjects like Pre-Technical Studies, Mathematics, and Kiswahili have already been delivered to public schools across the country. Multiple publishers are involved in this large-scale distribution effort, ensuring the government's one-to-one textbook policy is upheld.
Private schools and parents can also access these textbooks at local bookshops or by contacting KPA directly for assistance. KPA emphasized that the distribution is part of a broader initiative to ensure that learners have access to high-quality, government-approved textbooks, with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) approving books from over 15 publishers including Longhorn, Spotlight, Moran, and the Kenya Literature Bureau.
In line with recent educational reforms, KPA also noted that rationalized textbooks for Grades 5 to 8 will be available by February 2025. These changes stem from recommendations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER), which led to the merger of several subjects. Subjects like Home Science and Agriculture, as well as Integrated Science and Health Education, have been consolidated, and textbooks for these combined subjects are being produced to reflect the updated curriculum.
KPA also reassured that while the rationalized textbooks are still being finalized, the current textbooks for Grades 5-8 remain sufficient for ongoing teaching and learning activities.
Beyond the curriculum textbooks, KPA has highlighted the availability of additional reading materials including storybooks for younger learners, novellas for junior school students, and fiction for senior learners, all of which are available in bookshops nationwide.
This update from KPA reflects a continued commitment to facilitating a smooth and successful implementation of the CBC, ensuring that students, educators, and schools have access to the necessary resources for effective learning.
