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Enock Kaluba

Enock Kaluba is a Principal Education Officer for Early Childhood Education (ECE) at the Ministry of Education in Zambia, bringing over 30 years of teaching and leadership experience to the role. He has driven national educational reforms through technical committees shaping the National Teacher Policy and Teaching Professional Standards. An expert in curriculum development, human resources, and project management, he possesses extensive experience of collaborating with global development partners. Mr. Kaluba actively spearheads subsector professionalization in his role as the current President of the Early Childhood Professional Association of Zambia (ECPAZ).

Questions and comments

What is the biggest change CBC expects from teachers in the classroom, and how does Oxford’s Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides support that change?
For teachers, the CBC signals a shift from knowledge transmitters to facilitating learning. For learners, the CBC requires greater involvement practically and to think critically, discuss, solve problems, and apply what they learn in real-life situations, through hands on activities.

Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides are designed to make these shifts easier and a lot more practical by modelling what learner-centred teaching and learning looks like. It foregrounds learner-centred activities that require collaboration in the form of group work and pair work that prompt active participation and critical thinking in order to discover new concepts and solve problems. These activities are also arranged in such a way that they follow experiential learning.

Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides have daily syllabus-aligned lessons with learning activities that build specific competences and key competences, while integrating the cross-curricular themes, making it easier to stay aligned with the CBC in everyday classroom practice.

Many teachers are new to the CBC. What advice would you give them to feel more confident using this new curriculum?
Understanding how children learn is a critical aspect of teaching that a teacher needs to know. I advise teachers to start small. There is no need to change everything at once. Focus on one or two strategies, such as giving learners more opportunities to discuss or work together and build from there.
Also trust the structure of Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides. It has been carefully designed using the 3-step Gradual Release of Responsibility model. By following these steps (I do, We do, You do) every day, and using the activities provided, you are already implementing CBC in a meaningful way.

It is important to remind yourself that you are not alone, and that many teachers are in the same boat as you. Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides are designed to support you every day, every step of the way. Even small changes in your teaching can make a big difference in how learners think, participate, and succeed.

Which feature of the textbook supports teachers in guiding learners from understanding new concepts to applying them independently, and how can it be used in the classroom?
A key strength of Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides is its carefully structured lessons, which follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility model by moving from teacher-led explanation and practical, real-life concept building (I do), to guided practice (We do), and finally independent application (You do), enabling learners to develop understanding, confidence, autonomy, and ownership of their learning in line with CBC principles.
What are some simple ways teachers can use Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides to support competency-based learning, not just content coverage?
Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides are aligned to the ‘Learning through Play’ methodologies the Ministry emphasizes, and important aspects of social emotional learning and assessment are also incorporated in the process of teaching.

The activities are designed to help learners think, discuss, and solve problems, so giving learners time to engage with these tasks is key to developing competencies.

Many of the activities in Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides are ideal for collaboration, and this helps learners develop teamwork and social skills, which are 21st-century skills that are central to CBC.

Even at ECE level, it is important to make use of the questions that require learners to explain, give reasons, or apply their knowledge. Instead of looking for one correct answer, encourage discussion and different ideas, as this builds communication and critical thinking skills.

Lastly, it is important to connect lessons to real-life situations. Wherever possible, encourage learners to relate what they are learning to their own experiences. Oxford’s ECE (4-5-yr-old) Learner’s Books and Teacher’s Guides provides many practical examples and contexts that teachers can build on to make learning more meaningful.

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