Schools in Kericho County have been urged to embrace sports and other co-curricular activities as avenues for identifying and nurturing learners’ talents as part of the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum.
The call was made by Holy Trinity Academy (HTA) Group of Schools Chairperson Maxwell Odhiambo during the institution’s annual Fun Day held at Kericho Teachers Training College, where he said institutions should provide learners with opportunities to develop abilities that may not be fully demonstrated through academic work alone.
According to Odhiambo, sports expose learners to different experiences that help them discover their strengths while building essential skills needed in life, including teamwork, discipline, leadership and resilience.
“Every child has unique abilities. Through such activities, we give them an opportunity to showcase their talents, build teamwork and celebrate as one family,” said Odhiambo.
He observed that the CBE curriculum places emphasis on developing the whole learner by recognizing individual abilities and providing opportunities for growth in different areas.
“Competency-Based Education requires us to nurture every learner according to their abilities. Academic excellence alone is not enough. Through sports and other co-curricular activities, we are giving our learners an opportunity to discover their talents, build confidence, develop leadership skills and prepare for future careers,” he explained.
The chairperson encouraged learners to actively participate in sports, noting that such programmes create pathways for talent development while helping them acquire values that support their personal and professional growth.
Odhiambo further thanked Kericho Teachers Training College for hosting the event, the National Police Service for supporting safe movement of participants, and teachers and parents for their role in making the festival successful.
Additionally, he appreciated partners who supported the event, including ICEA Lions, which donated 24 trophies and 72 medals, South Rift Hospital and Green View Hospital for medical support, Imarisha Sacco for partnering in the festival, and Supa Loaf for providing refreshments.
The annual festival brought together 1,975 learners from the three HTA schools, including 1,103 from HTA Kericho, 724 from HTA Brooke and 148 from HTA Chepsir, alongside 109 members of staff.
Parents and teachers also participated in exhibition matches to strengthen cooperation between the school and families.
In the competition, HTA Kericho emerged among the leading teams after edging HTA Brooke 2-1 in the boys’ junior school football final, with Breyden scoring a brace while Emmanuel netted Brooke’s consolation goal.
Meanwhile, HTA Kericho also won the boys’ primary football category 3-0, the boys’ junior school volleyball match and recorded an 11-2 victory in boys’ junior school netball.
HTA Brooke secured the girls’ junior school football title after beating HTA Kericho in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw.
In exhibition matches, the parents’ men’s football team defeated teachers 2-0 through goals from Jeremy and Rev. Meshack, while the teachers’ women’s team overcame parents 2-0 courtesy of Chelimo’s brace.
The winning teams received trophies, while outstanding participants were awarded medals for their performances.
The football competitions were coordinated by Erick Mutai, while HTA Kericho Head Felix Owino and HTA Brooke Head Phyllikise Ouma commended learners, teachers and parents for displaying discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship.
By Kelox Mutai and Faith Chelang’at
