The Kenyan government has invested significantly in providing textbooks to schools in order to support the 100% transition policy. These resources are crucial, yet they often fall short of fully preparing learners for key national exams such as the KCSE. While government books provide foundational content, they are not always comprehensive enough to cover the wide scope of the curriculum, especially in areas that require deeper critical thinking and creativity.
- Neglect of creative composition writing
One of the major gaps in the current government-provided textbooks is the insufficient focus on creative composition writing. This is a crucial section of the English Paper 1, yet it often gets sidelined in both teaching and textbook content.
Creative composition is meant to test a student’s ability to think on their feet, develop coherent ideas, and communicate these ideas in a structured manner. However, many government textbooks focus on formulaic approaches that limit the creativity and imaginative thinking needed to excel in this area.
For students to truly shine in composition writing, they need exposure to a wider variety of writing styles, more detailed feedback, and opportunities to practice under varied prompts. The prescribed books lack this in-depth training, leading to students who struggle with one of the most open-ended sections of their exams.
- Insufficient coverage of set books
The situation is even more problematic when it comes to the set books, which account for a substantial 32.5 per cent of the KCSE English marks. None of the major government course books offer comprehensive coverage of these set texts.
This is particularly concerning because, the set books form the basis for both compulsory and optional essay questions in Paper 3, and students are expected to respond to excerpt questions in Paper 2.
Despite the centrality of set books in exam preparation, learners are often left to their own devices or rely on private materials to cover the gaps left by government textbooks. Covering a set book properly requires time, yet most textbooks only provide brief summaries, with little to no in-depth analysis or critical engagement with the texts.
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Essay writing, especially on these set books, is only superficially addressed. This not only hampers revision but also leaves students ill-prepared to respond to questions with the complexity they demand. Furthermore, excerpt analysis – a key aspect of both the compulsory and optional texts – receives minimal coverage, making it difficult for learners to understand the intricacies of these portions of the exam.
- Lack of materials for revising both essay and excerpt questions
Currently, students struggle to find adequate revision material that addresses both essay and excerpt questions in one place. This creates an additional challenge, as learners are forced to source supplementary materials or attend extra tuition classes to fill these gaps.
The lack of well-organized revision content means that students often miss out on effective strategies for tackling these two crucial areas. More concerning is that students, particularly those in under-resourced schools, may not even be aware that they are inadequately prepared until it is too late.
The existing textbooks neither provide clear distinctions between the various papers nor offer guided approaches for answering specific question types. For instance, there is no material to help students master the art of structuring essay responses for set texts or how to analyze excerpts effectively.
- The impact on the exam preparation
All these deficiencies severely hamper students’ ability to prepare for the KCSE exam in a holistic manner. Given the limited coverage in the government textbooks, students often waste valuable time hunting for additional resources to fill content gaps, rather than focusing on consolidating their understanding of the material. This disorganization impacts their performance, especially in the literature-based sections of the English paper, where critical thinking and comprehensive analysis are essential.
In conclusion, while government-issued textbooks are valuable tools, they do not offer the depth and breadth needed to fully prepare students for national exams. The gaps in creative composition, set book coverage, and revision material for essay and excerpt questions place learners at a disadvantage. There is a pressing need for schools to complement government textbooks with additional resources that focus on these areas. Without these, students are unlikely to reach their full potential, particularly in exams that demand analytical thinking and creative expression.
By Kamomonti wa Kiambati
Kamomonti teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub County.
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