Reconciling conflicting messages: English language curriculum change in Kenyan Secondary Schools

Abstract

Ong’ondo introduces an English teaching context in which there is policy incoherence and poor communication between the semi-autonomous partners within the Ministry of Education, responsible for the provision and assessment of English in Kenya. At national level, these include the Curriculum developers (KICD) within the Ministry, those responsible for examinations (KNEC), and those responsible for supervising the performance of Teacher Education institutions. Such incoherence means that the teacher education programme studied by the teacher whose experiences are reflected here did not appropriately prepare her to teach the curriculum. Now as a teacher, she strives to maintain a balance between the demands of the Ministry to teach the curriculum and pressure from her school to meet parental exam expectations.