On Monday, primary school head teachers reiterated the need to increase funding for infrastructure in junior schools.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government had funded over 10,000 classrooms in secondary schools with the hope that junior secondary schools would be domiciled in secondary school.
Unfortunately, the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms recommended that junior secondary school should be sited in primary schools.
As the CBC curriculum now moves to Grade 8, which means the end of 8-4-4 in primary schools, there is need to build more classes to accommodate learners.
JSS students currently use classrooms that were left by class 7 and 8 learners; but as we move to grade 8 it will be inevitable to build more classrooms.
The national chairperson of the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) Johnson Nzioka said that primary schools are facing significant infrastructural huddles.
“Some of the issues that need to be addressed are the infrastructural gaps. We are appealing to the government to do that because some schools do not have laboratories,” Nzioka said.
“We are also expecting more classrooms as we head to Grade 9. For Grade 8, we have classrooms that were being used by the outgoing Class 8 candidates, but after next year, we will need more classrooms for Grade 9,” he added.
The last cohort of the 8-4-4 system in primary school sat for their national exam, KCPE. The first cohort of the 2-6-6-3 system is halfway through junior secondary school.
Nzioka added, “We are happy that we are gaining ground on the implementation of CBC and we are going on to give it our best to ensure it takes roots and learners get to benefit.”
He was speaking ahead of the annual general conference for the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association to be held from Wednesday at Sheikh Zayed Hall in Mombasa.
Cabinet Secretary for Education Mr. Ezekiel Machogu will be one of the key speakers during the conference, and will be expected to speak about the progress of the CBC curriculum.
Recently there were rumors that the CS is supporting the transfer of JSS to senior secondary school; but that will take a further legislative process.
The theme of this year’s conference is, “Rethinking education management within a comprehensive school framework: Inspiring innovation for a sustainable impact in the present and future decades.”
The theme underscores the importance of innovation in primary education delivery and its management within the comprehensive school set-up. It encapsulates the essence of KEPSHA’s collective mission to enhance the quality of primary education and to drive positive change in our schools.
During the meeting, the school heads will also launch KEPSHA’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, which will reflect on their collective wisdom, experience, and expertise gathered over the years.
In the strategic plan, KEPSHA aims to adapt to changing educational paradigms, foster inclusivity, and ensure the well-being of its members and learners.
