Prospects of the 21st Century Skills in Education: an implication for Competency Based Curriculum in Kenya

Education in the 21st-Century seems to have surpassed mere learning of the stipulated curriculum areas. In the information technology era, young people are already faced with the challenges of social media interactions as well as other networks that call for certain mannerisms for acceptability. Settling well on the job as well as exhibiting certain competencies are some of the demands from the job market. It is, therefore, not a matter of just knowing what the work demands but building synergies from diverse team work is imperative. Developments in society and economy in this century, therefore, call for education systems that may equip young people with new skills and competencies, which allow them to benefit from the emerging forms of socialisation and to contribute actively to economic development under a system where the main asset is knowledge. This paradigm shift in the need for skills and competencies for young people to effectively respond to the demands of the emerging models of economic and social development unlike those in the past century which were suited to an industrial mode of production is imperative. This paper therefore reviewed literature in order to come up with novel ideas which may include the 21st-century competencies such as creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, ability to articulate, interpret and share thoughts and ideas.