Competence Based Curriculum: Sticky issues for the uptake of STEM education and STEM careers in Africa

Abstract

In the last decade, education policy in a many African countries has shifted to SBS Competence based education. Seen to resonate with and originate from global discourses on human capital theory and the current push to build a global workforce for the 21st century, the increased adoption of competence based education curriculum by African government continues to be fronted as key requirement for national economic growth. Using the proposed Kenyan Competence based curriculum as a case study this article provides a social-cultural theoretical reflection on some of the limitations of competency based curriculuxn as is currently promoted in some of the African countries in equitably supporting African students access to quality STEM education and transition STEM careers in the 21st century. Conclusions point to the need for bi/multilateral institutions such as the World Bank to desist from promoting one-sizefits all education models for Africa. A suggestion is made for key Pan-African STEM based institution such African Institute of Mathematical sciences (AIMS) to take a leadership role in advising the African governments on the merits and demerits of implementing a competency based curriculum.