KICD raises alarm over fake Grade 10 material flooding the market

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has raised concerns over the widespread circulation of counterfeit Grade 10 curriculum designs. 

The institute warned that unscrupulous traders are exploiting anxious parents, teachers, and school administrators preparing for the senior school transition next month. 

Demand for curriculum materials has surged as the pioneer Competency-Based Education (CBE) class prepares to join senior secondary, creating fertile ground for rogue dealers to infiltrate the market with fake, unapproved, and poor-quality documents. 

Yesterday, KICD Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong’ondo expressed concern that fraudsters are misleading the public. 

“Unsuspecting Kenyans are being duped into purchasing substandard and irrelevant materials. These individuals are falsely claiming that the materials they sell are produced and published by the Institute. This is false and unacceptable,” said Prof Ong’ondo. 

He clarified that KICD has not printed or released any Grade 10 materials for sale, noting that the authentic designs are still under development and would be released only after the curriculum development cycle is complete. 

“It is unlawful to purchase or distribute fake, unapproved, and poor-quality materials purported to be curriculum designs for teaching and learning. Anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law,” he warned. 

Despite this, traders have circulated materials carrying the KICD logo and mimicking the artwork of previous authentic designs to make the documents appear genuine. 

Thousands of parents are preparing their children for the milestone transition. Schools and teachers have also been seeking early guidance on the learning areas and pathways, hoping to begin preparations ahead of reopening. 

Social media platforms and roadside bookshops have been identified as some of the avenues where fake designs are being sold. 

Stakeholders admit that the infiltration of counterfeit materials has posed significant challenges for the agency, particularly in enforcement. 

“The proliferation of fake curriculum materials makes it difficult to fully whip rogue traders because they operate through informal networks that are hard to trace. By the time we track one source, the same materials have already resurfaced in a different region under a new trader,” said Willy Kuria, Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman. 

Policing the sale of counterfeit materials across thousands of informal outlets is a daunting task. Many traders operate without fixed locations, making enforcement difficult. Others use digital platforms with anonymous accounts. 

To curb the spread of misinformation, KICD reiterated that the only authorised point of sale is the KICD Bookshop located within the institute’s premises. 

No distributor, publishing house, or third-party vendor has been licensed to sell Grade 10 materials. 

“We advise heads of institutions, teachers, parents, and the general public not to be deceived into purchasing such substandard and irrelevant materials from unscrupulous traders,” said Ong’ondo. 

The infiltration of fake curriculum designs risks confusing teachers and misguiding schools in their preparations. Curriculum designs are foundational documents that guide assessment, pedagogy, and sequencing of learning. 

Fake versions could lead to wrong timetabling, misaligned teaching, and confusion in the first term. 

Education experts caution that this confusion may disadvantage students entering Grade 10, especially those in poorly resourced schools that rely heavily on guidelines from the national agency. 

KICD has announced plans to work with the Ministry of Education and law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle the networks. 

The Institute also plans to enhance public awareness campaigns and issue regular updates on the rollout of Grade 10 curriculum designs. 

Prof Ong’ondo is urging stakeholders to remain vigilant. As parents prepare their children for the transition and schools finalize their planning, insisting that accurate information will only come from the Institute itself and nowhere else.