As Kenya marks this year’s World Teachers’ Day, innovative ways of training tools from teachers are setting the pace for the future of Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Dorcas Wangui, a teacher at Manguo Primary School, Nyahururu, has created a model Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classroom that transforms ordinary learning into an engaging world of discovery.
From the outside, it looks like any other classroom, but inside, children enter a one-stop hub complete with spaces for class, meals, houses, a shopping mall, a nutrition corner, and even a mock Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
“A child in rural Kenya learning how to use an ATM card or understanding how shopping transactions work. It may sound like a dream, but here, it’s part of the lesson plan,” Wangui said.
Wangui say her focus remains on the learners. “Material development for nursery is my passion. MKU has inspired me to think outside the box and to create real solutions for real learners,” she said.
The innovation reflects the broader vision of the Competency-Based Education system, which Kenya officially adopted in April 2024.
Interactive learning at the ECDE level makes learning effective.
Unlike CBC, which emphasised curriculum delivery, CBE focuses on mastery of real-world skills, creativity, and pathways for learners to pursue talent, academic, or technical tracks at the senior secondary level beginning next year.
The model classroom has already become a benchmark centre for other ECDE teachers in Igwamiti Ward, with the county considering a rollout of similar spaces across its 450 centres.
Rahab Njaramba, the Ward ECDE Coordinator, described the classroom as “fun and informative, a model for the future.”
She added, “Children enjoy learning here because the environment is very engaging. They see, they touch, and they learn.”
“She is exceptional in materials development. We recently hosted all ward ECDE teachers here for training, and many are now replicating her ideas,” Njaramba said.
Dr Boniface Kamau, head of Special Needs and ECDE at Mount Kenya University, termed the project as part programs that embody the philosophy of CBE.
“You can see she is bringing creativity into teaching the various activities to the children. The teamwork and critical thinking she is instilling will help eliminate individualism and nurture talents,” he said.
Her achievement adds to a growing list of teacher and student-led innovations that are reshaping education in Kenya.
Last year, a group of secondary school students in Kisii developed a solar-powered handwashing station during the pandemic, while in Machakos, a teacher designed locally made science kits for junior secondary learners.
In Nairobi, a university student created a digital Braille learning app that is now being piloted in schools for learners with visual impairment.
These innovations are celebrated on Teachers’ Day as examples of how educators are driving change from the classroom level.
According to Laikipia County ECDE director Isil Aden, such creativity is not just about making learning fun but ensuring equity.
“When children in rural areas can access the same hands-on learning as those in urban schools, we bridge gaps and prepare every learner for the three pathways of CBE,” she said.
Dr Emmanuel Manyasa, Director, Usawa Agenda, say as Kenya prepares for the transition to pathways in 2026, such innovations stand as proof that teachers remain the engine of transformation in education
