Kenyan Government Approves New Coding Syllabus For Primary And Secondary Schools

The Kenyan government has approved a new syllabus for teaching coding in primary and secondary schools.

Kodris Africa, an online publishing firm that specialises in equipping learners with 21st-century skills such as creative problem solving and algorithmic thinking will offer the syllabus after it was granted approval by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

KICD Director Prof Charles Ong’ondo said coding is a practical thinking activity that would enable children to imagine, create and solve problems.

“In the past, coding was conceived as a high-level activity, yet children can start engaging in early learning levels, the program will involve practical lessons,” he said

Kenya is the first African country to approve this kind of syllabus. Kodris will be offering the syllabus in another 48 nations on the continent.

Kodris Africa CEO Mugumo Munene said the new syllabus will empower learners to be creators.

“When students learn to code, they can become producers in this 21st century digital age rather than merely consume what is created by others,” he said.

Kenya will be the first country on the African continent to implement the syllabus in Africa. Kodris is offering the syllabus in other 48 nations across the continent.

The new coding syllabus will go a long in helping Africa to attract and nurture future IT talent from a young age.

Currently, Africa suffers from a shortage of IT talent which has forced big tech companies to poach personnel from small firms leading to an outcry.

To close the IT talent gap in Africa, global tech companies like Microsoft have opened offices in Nigeria and Kenya to train software engineers.