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Muguka growing region breathes a sigh of relief as learners return to school
18th November, 2025 09:19 AM
For decades, the rolling green hills of Mbeere have been synonymous with Muguka, the mild stimulant that drives the local economy and sustains many households.
But behind the cash crop’s success lay a silent crisis: school absenteeism. Many children, drawn by quick money and family obligations, would skip classes to help in harvesting and selling the lucrative crop.
The majority of those who absconded from classes for Muguka farming found a challenge in understanding what they were being taught, and even failing to pass exams due to their inability to remember what they had been taught.
However, a quiet revolution is taking place in the region’s classrooms, one driven not by cash, but by curiosity and creativity.
The introduction of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum has transformed the learning landscape, reducing absenteeism and rekindling children’s interest in schooling.
“We used to struggle to get our children to school. Before CBE, many preferred to spend their time in Muguka farms, helping their parents and earning a few coins, simply because they felt they did not understand what they were being taught due to the technicality of remembering what they had been taught to pass exams. Now, they are excited to attend school because learning feels practical and connected to real life,” Njeru Nyaga, a parent from Gikiiro in Mbeere South, recalls.
Under the old 8-4-4 system, learning was largely theoretical, exam-centered, and rigid. Children were drilled to memorize facts, not to apply knowledge. Many rural learners, especially those from farming communities like Mbeere, found it hard to relate classroom lessons to their daily lives.
“Most of them felt alienated. They did not see the relevance of what they were learning, and that is why many dropped out or skipped lessons to engage in Muguka farming,” says Jane Karimi, a parent in Kanyuambora Mbeere North.
CBE to the rescue
Robert Mwiti, the Mbeere South Subcounty Director of Education, notes that absenteeism rates have dropped drastically since CBE was introduced.
“We have observed a consistent rise in attendance among learners. Parents are also more supportive because they can see the direct impact of learning on their children’s skills and behavior,” Mwiti says.
The system had started as Competency Based Curriculum [CBC], but later it changed to Competency Based Education after the government realised that it was focusing more on curriculum, which can not be used as a tool to gauge education.
”CBE is embracing and developing competencies of the learner, like in talent plus education, where a learner selects an area she feels is better placed and competent, and this is working well for all learners, and that is why issues of absenteeism have significantly come down in these areas where Muguka is grown,’ Mwiti observes.
Mwiti says Art and Sports Science are among the new pathways under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, a shift from the 8-4-4 system. CBE aims to nurture learners’ natural talents, developing creativity and athletic ability from ECDE through to PhD level.
”Our young children have realised that they are not being measure through what they can easily recall and remember they are also being assessed on what they can do with their own hands, their muscles their mouth and they feel more motivated to be in school and where they are no so much required to memorise many things, because it is only for intellectual area we used to emphasize is 8.4.4,” Mwiti explains.
Bright futures
The shift has also opened up a path for embracing STEM education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics within CBE.
Schools are using locally available materials to teach innovation and problem-solving, linking theory to practice. In some Schools, for instance, in the Mbeere region, learners have created simple irrigation models using recycled bottles, an innovation inspired by the region’s semi-arid conditions.
“STEM is not about expensive labs or imported equipment.It is about encouraging critical thinking. Our pupils are learning to design solutions for challenges they see daily, like water scarcity or soil erosion, explains Mary Wambui, a science teacher in Mbeere South sub-county.
Still, the journey has not been without challenges. Teachers admit that adapting to the new curriculum required retraining and access to resources that were initially lacking. “It has been a learning curve for everyone. But the results are visible: learners are more engaged, and absenteeism has become rare,” Mwiti says.
The Ministry of Education, through the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), has been conducting continuous training for teachers on CBE implementation. There is also growing emphasis on digital literacy to ensure rural schools are not left behind as STEM integration deepens.
In areas like Kiritiri Siakago, where most parents depend on muguka farming for their income, these costs are felt even more sharply.
“Our children are learning well, but every week we are asked to buy something new so that our children can use it for learning,” lamented one parent in Evurore, reflecting the frustration of many others.
In Gikiiro and neighboring villages, the sound of children’s laughter now echoes more from classrooms than from miraa plantations.
The region’s transformation tells a story of how education, when rooted in relevance and competency, can shift mindsets and futures.
