Looks like forgery is Kenya’s hobby when it comes to life’s survival tactics. While we apparently cannot trust our politicians to do clean business, crooks also exist in the books industry meaning our education sector is also under jeopardy yet it is the key to education.
Among the hitches that is now hitting our new education curriculum that has already hit a lot of rocks before finally finding its feet in our schools is the sale of fake books.
The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) yesterday appealed to head teachers to ensure books used in their respective schools for the new curriculum, meet the set requirements.
KICD director Dr Julius Jwan urged parents to confirm the complementary textbooks they buy for children are age appropriate.
The move to caution on books to be used in school follows emerging concerns over some books being circulated in the market purported to be for Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) but they have not been approved by KICD.
Jwan said the institute is monitoring situations where books are circulated without their approval, in an effort to protect children from being misled.
“We are monitoring the situation, especially those inserting fake imprints on such books. But, all of us must remain vigilant to protect our children,” Jwan stated.
He also appealed to those circulating the books to confirm if they are in the local market to avoid causing unnecessary panic.
The origin of some of the books with unapproved content, he revealed, has been established to be as far as Egypt, Ghana and the US.
He cautioned that some unscrupulous traders might take advantage of the introduction of the CBC to sell substandard books.
Do you think the country’s education ministry is capable of curbing this books menace or like many other illegal business the frauds shall thrive?