Education Reforms Should Be Understood Before They Are Opposed, CS Migosogambatello Says

The Cabinet Secretary argued that programmes designed to support young people are often criticised before their objectives and intended benefits are properly understood. He said such opposition risks undermining efforts aimed at transforming the country’s education system.

At the centre of the reforms, he pointed to the competency-based education system, describing it as a fundamental shift in how Kenya approaches education.

According to the CS, the country’s education system has historically placed too much emphasis on knowledge while giving insufficient attention to character. The new approach, he suggested, is intended to address that imbalance by developing young people who possess not only knowledge and skills, but also strong character.

The argument raises a broader question about the purpose of education: What should education ultimately do for society?

For the CS, education cannot simply be about producing people who perform well academically. It must also contribute to the development of responsible citizens capable of applying their knowledge with integrity and a sense of responsibility.

His remarks also extended beyond curriculum reform to the leadership of institutions of higher learning. Speaking during the installation of a new chancellor, he stressed the need for leaders who combine competence with integrity and understand that leadership is a responsibility to serve rather than a privilege.

He said university and other higher-education leaders have a responsibility to set an example through accountability, transparency, excellence, responsible stewardship and respect for the rule of law.

The broader message from the speech is therefore not simply a defence of competency-based education. It is a call for a change in attitude towards reform itself.

Rather than rejecting new programmes on the basis of perception or political and institutional resistance, stakeholders should first understand what the reforms seek to achieve and then assess whether they are delivering those objectives.

For Kenya's education transformation to succeed, the speech suggests, reform must go hand in hand with responsible leadership. A modern education system cannot be separated from the values demonstrated by the people entrusted with running its institutions.

The challenge, therefore, is twofold: to build an education system that develops competent and principled citizens, and to ensure that those leading educational institutions demonstrate the same standards of integrity, accountability and service they expect from others.