The Competent Learner

04 Oct The Competent Learner

Competence is the ability to effectively accomplish our goals in every sphere of our lives. A competent learner on the other hand is one who is able to handle emotional challenges well enough to tackle the age-appropriate tasks of each stage of development, master them, and emerge with greater confidence.

Pupils of Kongoni Primary School during environment day at their school

The role of education for sustainable development (ESD) in Kenya is to help the Kenyan child develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge to make informed decisions for the benefit of themselves and society hence producing a competent learner. While many nations around the world have embraced the need for education to achieve sustainability, only limited progress was made at any level. Learning for sustainable development constitutes a trigger for innovations in education and should be supported.

Because of the need for producing an all rounded and well-balanced learner, The Kenyan government introduced the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). This mode of learning is key in enabling sustainable development in the country generally and quality education in the learner. The CBC was introduced and designed to emphasize the significance of developing skills and knowledge and also applying those competencies to real life situations.

The 8-4-4 system, good as it was, focused more on the learner memorizing content and passing examinations thereby moving to the next level of academics. The CBC on the other hand enables the learner to develop beyond academics. This system equips the students with skills and enables the learner to focus on how they can use their talents in life.

A pupil of Muthiga Academy writing with a Momo Pencil

The core competencies of CBC that the creators of the competency based curriculum envisioned, that at the end of the learning period, every learner should have achieved include:

1. Communication and collaboration
2. Critical thinking and problem solving
3. Imagination and creativity
4. Citizenship
5. Learning to learn
6. Self-efficacy
7. Digital literacy

While some of the CBC life values that the learner should have acquired at the end of the learning period include Love, Responsibility, Respect, Unity, Peace, Patriotism and Integrity

Competence in adults is a prerequisite to achieving professional and personal success. It all begins at the learning stage when a child is growing up.

Leave a comment!