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1. KENYATTA UNIVESITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT: EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT POLICY AN CURRICULUM STUDIES
UNIT NAME: CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
UNIT CODE: EMP 201
NAME: RHODA. S. DAVID
REG. NO: E35S/13822/2013
TASK: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED BY SCHOOLS IN
TEACHING OF TECHNICAL SUBJECTS IN KENYA AND SUGGEST WAYS OF
ADDRESING THE CHALLENGES.
LECTURER: DR. ANTHONY MUNGAI
DATE: 13TH OCTOBER 2014
SIGN:
.

2. INTRODUCTION
Throughout the country there are a number of school age children who are not in school,
although 2015 has been a target for Kenya specified for millennium development goals (MDG’s)
and education for all. The limited economic and organizational resources constrain their ability
to build and expand the education system yet the need and demand for formal education in pre-
colonial Africa continues to grow.
This has made the ministry of education to put in place some of technical subjects in school
curriculum to empower the learners .However technical subjects are subjects that equip learners
with practical and mechanical art /skills rather alone the theoretical or abstract thinking alone.
This helps learners to build an interest in certain field and specialize in it. Some of examples of
these technical subjects include: computer studies, business studies, home science, agriculture,
woodwork, metalwork.
Despite of all these efforts by ministry of education and the Kenya institute of curriculum
development to enforce teaching of technical subjects in schools ,the schools are faced with a lot
of challenges as follows;
For instance Kenya has a limited no of technical training institutes in this case this has become a
barrier and difficulty in career progression. It fosters negative public attitude and perception
towards technical and vocational education in Kenya. In most cases these few training institutes
do not even give room to all the people who are interested in technical training and therefore
they end up progressing in other careers rather than what they could fit in comfortably.
However in case of information communication technology there is a major challenges in
accessing of IT facilities, for example in most schools the ratio of one computer is to twenty

3. students, just because they cannot for this accommodate this large number of students who want
to quench their thirsty for education in information technology. This indicates that education
sector has lagged behind in IT; thou other sector such as marketing, transport and medical sectors
have fully embraced it. This is as a result of education sector considering computers to be
expensive and a luxury making it difficult to access them.
Another challenge that faces teaching of technical courses is lack of internet and slow
connectivity. Most schools are unable to connect to World Wide Web, due to high cost involved
in installing the connectivity. This forces the teachers and learners to go into details in theory
work more than practical work. The learners therefore end up lacking some of the important
aspects that should be learn at the beginning and the baseline for studying computer.
Burglar. The equipments necessary in study of home science, business/studies, agriculture,
computer metalwork and woodwork such as sewing machines, refrigerators, machetes and some
of computer parts have become a target for thieves who usually have ready markets to another
party at a less figure than it’s supposed to. The thieves are not only outsiders but also the
students, teachers and other non teaching staffs. Due to this the school administrators have the
fear of offering these subjects since they will keep on replacing the stolen items which might be
too expensive if the problem is a continuous one.
In addition, this has made many schools to incur an extra expense in trying to burglar proof the
laboratories, more so the computer and home science laboratories. This forces the school heads
to shy away from replacing computers and other oriental equipments for their students.
Breakdown of machines and computers, thou a number of schools have benefited from
computers either by buying for themselves or from donors they have not yet being equipped with

4. repair and maintenance skills. In most schools there are so many broken down computers in
computer labs ,this inhibits the access of necessary materials or machines because of shortage
faced as a result of broken down computers, hence the learners become demotivated to continue
taking the subjects.
Moreover the issue of limited or inadequate time crops in, for example in most secondary
schools a single lesson is scheduled for about forty minutes and eighty minutes for a double
lesson. This becomes a big barrier because the students are not given enough time to interact
with their teachers and fellow students during a certain lesson. Plus there is too much rushing of
teachers to cover the syllabus in good time yet they do need more attention
just like in mathematics and science oriented subjects and more practical and field work to
develop manipulative skills.
Teaching of computer studies helps the students to be more knowledgeable about the emerging
issues in the society’ although it has lead to increased moral degradation among our students
This will negatively affect the coming generations because internet encourages pornography,
cyber bulling and other anti-social behaviors, because the teacher will not be with the students all
through to monitor on what to do and not to. That’s why there is so much immorality among the
youths and hacking.
In case of business studies and woodwork there is mismatch between the acquired skills and the
market needs. Most teachers use out dated syllabus which the learners do not get to benefit fully
from them as its required as in case of venturing in entrepreneurship. Therefore this discourages
them and at times they end in giving up. Sometimes the market needs are too high and it

5. becomes a challenge to the entrepreneurs since they cannot meet the market needs due to
unessential skills that they acquire from classroom bases.
Although teaching of these technical subjects in Kenya faces certain challenges, these challenges
can still be addressed in different ways. In so doing the students and school heads will be
encouraged to take part in partnership with the government in embracing them completely in the
school curriculum with no fear at all.
Both the government and non- governmental organizations should take up the challenge and
build up more technical training institutes. As a result they will encourage the teachers or
mentors to attend them and be equipped with necessary and essential skills, knowledge and
attitudes corresponding to the subjects offered. In so doing the education sector will be at the
fore front in offering quality education which will make the learners useful to the society. This
should not only be built but also equipped with the required facilities so as to promote social
economic equality and responsibility among the people and their environment.
However the students should be equipped with the essential skills that match with the market
needs. The skills acquired should be able to meet the needs in the market. For example the skills
needed in the field of economics, finance and sales and marketing should be taught separately as
economic skills, finance skills and sales and marketing skills instead of economic and finance,
sales and marketing skills. The essence being the entrepreneur will need to have presentation
skills according to the kind of sector one is venturing in.
The school administrators should be advised to create more time in teaching of technical
subjects. At least this will enable the teacher to monitor and reach the learners’ needs and
correspond to their ability in a special way and comprehend their capability. Also more time

6. created will help the learner to do more practical work rather than just the mere theory which
makes no sense if the learner does not get to do the real practical work either in laboratories or
field and project work.
The most important thing is to sensitize the learners the essence of learning technical subjects.
This will enlighten them and see them in a positive direction. They will no longer perceive the as
old fashioned/dated subjects. In respect to this they will stop eyeing the color jobs as a result of
science and mathematics oriented subjects and venture in informal sectors such as jua kali under
the umbrella of metal works, woodworks, business, agriculture and home science.
In case of a school environment, it’s the obligation of a teacher to regulate the kind of
information the learner’s access through the internet so as to curb the cropping immorality. Since
the world has become a global village caretakers should also take Part in enlightening their
children on the effects of pornography, cyber bulling and other anti-social behaviors’. This will
bring about peaceful co-existence among the people in the society and maintain good morals.
Learning institutions should have staff equipped with repair and maintenance skills in case of
any breakdown. In a computer lab, the room should be burglar proof to curb stealing and other
expenses that may occur. Computer labs, woodwork labs and other metal work labs should have
fire alarms which will alert either the students or teachers in case of any danger. In addition to
this, computer lab rules and regulations should be followed to the letter excluding no one.
The school administration should be enlightened for them to incorporate business studies,
agriculture, metal works, woodwork, and computer learning hence stop viewing them as
expensive courses. This will aid in wiping away the fear. In spite of the fear the facilities should
also be offered or hired at a cheaper price so as to make them easily accessible to school

7. institution if not so government and nongovernmental organizations have a role to play by
donating such facilities to relevant learning institutions in order to share the cost.
In conclusion, teaching of technical subject in Kenyan schools has stimulated development of
essential skills such as critical thinking and direct observation skills through writing and reading
skills. They help the learners to enter into a variety of careers which end up improving their
living standards; for example the informal sector such as jua kali have developed as a result of
these knowledge and skills acquired despite of the challenges faced.