Prof. George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education , urged teachers to adopt practical teaching methods.
This, he said, will allow students to have adequate practical knowledge not only to apply during exams, but also to enter the job market immediately after graduation. Magoha, while inspecting phase two CBC projects in secondary schools in Obambo, Siaya Township and Mbaga in Siaya, noted that the inadequate use of practical methods in teaching is encouraging what he called “chew and pour”.
He explained that the traditional way of learning where the emphasis is on memorizing facts with little attention to getting students to understand subjects through hands-on learning should be critically examined.
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Magoha who was accompanied by Regional Director of Education Edwin Sifuna, TSC Director Alego / Usonga Richard Obonyo, and Siaya County Commissioner Jim Njoka, urged teachers to constantly update themselves to enable them to teach well.
However, he asked the heads of the institutions to intensify the in-service training of teachers to evaluate them professionally.
He challenged students to assume their responsibilities by studying more through the effective use of practical methods to broaden their learning skills to excel in their academic endeavors.
Magoha noted that the country has the best teachers, especially at primary level doing CBC while 8-4-4 system teachers are training their students to pass exams.
“I want teachers to rethink how they teach their students by adding those teaching topics like photosynthesis to go with the students in the bush and practically involve them on the processes as they touch the plants,” Magoha said.
He added: “If you go to the 8-4-4 system where a student puts his leg in cold water and fills in the theories related to photosynthesis, he won’t help the students.” The exams would require contextualization problems in fact our schools have to buy daily newspapers for the students as most of the questions would come from there.
Magoha made the remarks at Obambo Secondary where he regretted that a Form Four candidate couldn’t contextualize whatever he had learned in class.
The Obambo candidate did not answer simple questions about the process used by the plant to make its foods and products involved, “Magoha said, adding that even the details of digestion are difficult for her to answer, but the tests are behind the corner.
