Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-13 21:00:00
Performance management (PM) has been a popular concept in developing countries for the past 25 years. It involves setting targets for employees, reviewing their progress periodically, and aiming to improve productivity while reducing losses. In Kenya, the push for PM in the public service peaked between 2007 and 2013, with annual functions held to announce the best-performing ministries based on performance contracts with senior public servants.
In the education sector, teachers and students have always had performance targets, such as completing syllabi on time and achieving specific grades or rankings. These measureable activities ensure that work gets done. However, when PM was introduced, it was mainly applied to employees in the education hierarchy, without formalizing performance contracts among all cadres of staff. A feeble attempt was made to implement PM in basic education institutions, without involving the Boards of Management that oversee their performance.
At the same time, the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was being introduced in basic education. Under this curriculum, students are not ranked based on performance, but are classified as performing below, approaching, meeting, or exceeding expectations. This departure from traditional measurement metrics raises questions about teacher performance, accountability measures, and the future of students’ academic progression.
The introduction of CBC brings forward a number of concerns. Firstly, it raises uncertainty about teacher performance without measureable targets. Secondly, it begs the question of accountability measures within the new curriculum framework. Additionally, the shift from traditional performance metrics to the CBC classification system for students challenges the criteria for admission to senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, and raises concerns about the future of degree and diploma classifications.
The complexities of reconciling these conflicting management concepts in the education sector require input from experts in curriculum development, implementation, evaluation, and performance management. The shift towards CBC should not result in the abandonment of PM in the education sector, as it could be a valuable tool for ensuring accountability and improving productivity.
It is crucial for stakeholders in the education sector to work towards reconciling these management concepts to ensure that they complement each other. The PM concept should not be disregarded as new curriculums are introduced, as it plays a vital role in ensuring accountability and driving productivity in educational institutions. By finding a balance between traditional performance metrics and new curriculum frameworks, the education sector can continue to ensure that students receive a quality education while also holding educators accountable for their performance.
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