President William Ruto has directed the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Education Ezekiel Machogu to create a training programme for teachers on Performing Arts.
Speaking during the National Drama and Film Festival Winners’ State Concert, Ruto said performing arts potentially marks the beginning of a career and should be introduced as one of the training areas in Universities and Colleges.
Ruto said the government has already developed a performing arts curriculum for the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) students and that of teachers should be next.
“Machogu and his team need to now develop curriculum for teachers of the arts space. Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) have informed me that they have developed curriculum for students, but we additionally need to develop curriculum for teachers so that we can have teachers who are trained specifically trained on the space music, arts, film, and creative economy,” he said.
Ruto on Importance of Performing Arts
He emphasized that the subject has become an integral of Kenya’s education system and prepares students for different careers in the creative industry.
The president announced that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) promoted all the 432 teachers who participated in the National Drama Festival in 2023.
“Performing arts are no longer mere extracurricular pursuits but are fundamental components of education that are seamlessly integrated into the school curriculum which now has defined the pathway for creative and artistic learners,” he said.
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Ruto congratulated the teachers concerned with the Drama Festival stating such it takes a lot of commitment, efforts, and determination to ensure its success.
Additionally, Ruto said the newly trained teachers will assist the existing in organizing the event and educating the students on performing arts.
“I am looking forward to additional steps that will assist and augment what teachers are going through including those who help us manage, put together and organize this great event. It is not easy to have 23,000 participants and all of them go through the meal without hitches,” Ruto stated.
He also explained that the government created the department of creative economy under the ministry of Sports to develop creative talents and ensure they transition from the schools to the market.
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Machogu’s Order
This came a few days after Machogu announced that performing arts will now be a compulsory subject for CBC learners.
Speaking on Monday, April 15, Machogu said performing arts has been made part of the CBC and will be taught from pre-primary to tertiary institutions.
The CS said the country has great talents and the government is ready to invest in the creative economy to ensure Kenya features in the global map.
“Performing arts is not optional, it is compulsory, and the government is taking the matter seriously, “he said.
“We are investing heavily in the performing arts to tap into the great potential we have in the country, we have great talent among our young people who can even make it to international competitions.”
He emphasized that the government would ensure the CBC succeeds for the benefit of the children.
