1.26 Million Students Transit to Junior High Today; What You Should Know
Today marks the beginning of the second phase of the Competency-Based Curriculum when Grade 7 students report to school. This marks the arrival of junior secondary education (CBC).
For instance, schools in poor locations will share resources with their neighbors. The Ministry of Education stated that the collaboration would facilitate the teaching of courses such as integrated science, agriculture, computer science, home economics, and visual and performing arts.
Other facilities to be shared include sporting fields, open areas, and athletic, gaming, physical fitness, and health equipment.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu stated at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on Friday, after delivering the textbooks to schools, that the guidelines will enable a smooth transition.
While the ministry has agreed to distributing the first-term capitation to all public primary schools this week, students will report to school without government support. The State has stated that it intends to spend Sh9.6 billion on a cash injection of Sh15,000 per student, of which Sh4,000 would be used to improve school facilities.
A teacher shortage is another difficulty faced by many schools. However, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is now recruiting 35,000 new teachers.
At an effort to combat the teacher shortage, TSC will deploy primary teachers with diplomas and degrees to teach in junior high schools.
Only 4,567 primary school teachers are competent to teach JSS, according to TSC data. Machogu advised all parents and guardians of seventh-grade students to guarantee that their children attend school today. There are approximately 32,555 primary schools in the United States, 24,000 of which are public.
According to Machogu, around 13,000 of the 14,000 schools evaluated as of the previous week are prepared for the transition. “As of January 13, 2023, 14,589 public and private schools had been evaluated. Of these, 13,221 schools were allowed to house Junior Secondary Schools, according to Machogu.
The ministry also intends to implement affirmative action to alleviate education inequities for disadvantaged students, including the development of low-cost boarding schools in regions with highly dispersed settlements for students at risk or with a handicap.
President William Ruto has urged members of parliament to help improve school facilities by building more classrooms using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
“It is our collective responsibility to work with the national government to improve the learning environment in schools,’’ Ruto said.
“We cannot leave all that responsibility to the government alone. The State will engage MPs to ensure we put up one class in every public school.” But the majority of the MPs are opposing the President’s appeal, saying they have priority issues for the CDF funds.
The government has not yet released the promised capitation of Sh15,000 for each learner, despite the fact that inadequate infrastructure and budget shortfalls are impeding implementation.
Concerns remain over the availability of land, classrooms, and laboratories, as well as water and electricity, to accommodate Junior Secondary Schools in terms of infrastructure (JSS).
As the official opening of the new academic year draws near, parents of Grade 7 learners in Kenya are expressing mixed concerns about the recent directive that requires their children to remain in primary school instead of proceeding to secondary school.
According to a recent report, some of the pupils between the ages of 11 and 13 may be hurt by the decision and don’t want to return to their former primary schools.
This has caused concern for some parents, such as Damaris, who reported that her son is reluctant to return to his previous school and has expressed a desire to transfer to a different school in Nairobi.
Damaris fears that the junior students may tease or mock her son for being back at his former primary school.
The Education Ministry has supported the learners and their families in addressing these concerns.
The Ministry has directed that no parent should be forced to buy uniforms at a specific store and has revealed plans to reduce the number of subjects studied by Grade 7 learners.
The Basic Education Curriculum Framework outlines that the learners will study 12 core subjects and two optional ones.
Additionally, the government has spent 3.1 billion Kenyan shillings on the distribution of books, with each learner receiving one textbook for core and optional subjects.
The Ministry of Education has assessed and approved over 20,000 primary schools to host Grade 7 learners, with the selection based on enrolment.
Schools that did not qualify will act as junior secondary feeder schools, with affirmative action taken in high-density areas and for learners with special needs and disabilities.
The government is launching the distribution of 17,893,270 copies of Learner’s Books and 423,514 copies of Teacher’s Guides for Grade 7 between January 30 and February 17.
In conclusion, the directive to retain Grade 7 learners in primary schools may have caused challenges and difficulties for the students and their families.
Still, the Education Ministry is trying to address these concerns and support the learners.
With the official opening of the new academic year fast approaching, the government is taking affirmative action to ensure a smooth transition and provide the necessary resources for the learners to succeed.
1.26 Million Students Transit to Junior High Today; What You Should Know
