Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu has revealed that the government will make performing arts a compulsory subject in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Speaking at Kangaru Girls High School in Embu County yesterday when he graced the Kenya National Drama and Music Festivals, the CS stressed that performing arts have been made part of the CBC and will be taught from pre-primary to tertiary institutions.
The CS added that every school will be required to take part in performing arts competitions to reinforce the practicability of the syllabus.
“Performing arts is not going to be optional; it is compulsory and the government is taking the matter seriously,” he said.
The CS, who visibly enjoyed the performances, said that Kenyan children are highly talented in drama and music, and they should be given enough support to exploit their talent.
“We are investing heavily in performing arts to tap into the great potential we have in the country. We have great talent among our young people who can even make it to the international competitions,” he said.
He acknowledged that there is improvement in performance as compared to last year’s festival held in Mombasa.
Machogu affirmed the government’s effort in making CBC syllabus a success, saying it will employ 20,000 more teachers and build more classes in primary schools to accommodate Junior Secondary School (JSS) learners.
He said the government will allocate Ksh9 billion for infrastructural development, money which will be factored into the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) to create space for learners.
“NGCDF will be increased so that parliamentarians can use the funds to construct enough classrooms for CBC learners,” he said
The national event, which runs for four days from Monday April 15 to Thursday April 18, has attracted 23,000 learning institutions across the country.
President William Ruto will grace the final day of the event on April 18, 2024.
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By Brian Ndigo
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