Six-Hour Teaching Time not functionable in Kenya’s Education System

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu suggested standard six-hour schedule for teaching and classroom activities is expected to impose considerable constraints that will impede and interfere with effective education delivery and student growth.

Teaching should begin at 8 a.m. and stop at 3:45 p.m., according to CS Machogu.

The proposed teaching session, is unlikely to function for the following reasons.

First, the tremendous amount of content to be covered is one of the key reasons why teaching cannot occur adequately within a sixhour period.

The Kenyan Education system frequently stresses a comprehensive curriculum that covers a wide range of disciplines and themes. As a result, teachers will struggle to cover all of the required content in the allotted time.

This hasty approach frequently results in superficial learning and insufficient time for in-depth debate, critical thinking, and active participation among students.

Secondly, group discussions, projects, experiments, and handson activities are examples of active learning practices that have been shown to improve student engagement and comprehension. However, these strategies necessitate more time than typical lecture-style education.

Teachers may struggle to include these interactive activities effectively within the six-hour timeframe because they are obliged to prioritize subject coverage over active learning.

As a result, children may miss out on opportunities to develop important skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, cooperation, and creativity.

Lastly, Education should promote comprehensive development, including physical, emotional and social growth, rather than just intellectual performance. Unfortunately, the proposed six-hour timetable overlooks these critical elements.

Students' abilities to explore their gifts, develop interpersonal skills and nurture their overall well-being are hampered by a lack of time for physical education, arts, music, and extracurricular activities.

A well-rounded education is required to produce individuals capable of making meaningful contributions to society.