Education Ministry To Phase Out Boarding schools under the CBC
Secondary schools will undergo changes, including the conversion of some boarding schools to day schools, when the Competency-Based Curriculum is implemented in the junior secondary in 2023.
According to a report aimed at ironing out the kinks in the new education system, CBC students will attend junior secondary day schools within one or two kilometres of their former primary schools in rural areas.
“Designated day secondary schools will be the key transition point into secondary education, except in arid areas, areas with long commutable distances, and areas with inadequate sub-county schools,” the report states.
The report from a task force led by Principal Secretary Fatuma Chege was released in December of last year but only recently made public.
The report is titled “Taskforce Report on Enhancing Access, Relevance, Transition, Equity, and Quality for Effective Curriculum Reform Implementation.”
In 2023, the CBC’s pioneer class will begin junior secondary school.
The report suggests that students attend their neighbourhood day schools for primary and junior secondary school.
The report proposes a pool system in which a day secondary school absorbs students from several primary schools in the surrounding area.
It draws on success stories from Shanghai, China, as part of an initiative called “Neighborhood Attendance.”
It directed that students attend their neighbourhood schools rather than competing for limited spaces at key schools.
Day-schooling may have a number of advantages, including lowering household education costs, increasing access, closing the gender gap, and reducing waste.
The report states that “day-schooling promotes parental engagement and involvement in their children’s learning and development.”
Under the new plan, underutilized primary school facilities could be used to build new secondary schools.
Some boarding schools may be converted to day schools to house junior secondary students as a result of the changes.
This will allow for the use of facilities that will be left vacant, such as reorganized dormitories for classes.
To make the transition a reality, the Fatuma Chege task force advised education county directors to map out day secondary schools and primary schools in their jurisdiction.
This will guide learners’ placement and transition to junior secondary school.
The report proposes that learning institutions with less infrastructure be levelled up to compete with those that are well equipped.
According to the report, this is done to ensure that no school is considered superior to another.
The report emphasizes the importance of inclusive education, which includes integrating special needs students into regular classroom settings.
The report argues that students in junior secondary school should attend day schools.
One of the main reasons is the recommendation of studies that suggest parental guidance is important for adolescents, which is effectively realized when parents are in constant contact with their children on a daily basis.
The report, based on a World Bank report from 2008, contends that day schools are the primary means of increasing equitable access to secondary education.
The reasoning is that boarding schools are costly to build and run.
According to the World Bank report, junior secondary education should be localized and tailored to meet the needs of those who cannot afford boarding fees.
Boarding secondary schools were supposed to be reserved for students who couldn’t get to day schools within a reasonable distance of their homes.
According to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development’s recommendations, students transitioning to junior secondary school will be between the ages of 12 and 14.
According to the task force report, the learner experiences rapid physical, emotional, and psychological development during the same time period.
The report states that this will necessitate significant parental involvement and support.
According to the report, the emphasis on parental involvement and engagement in junior secondary remains a prominent feature to be considered during the anticipated transition.
According to the report, a significant number of school dropouts occurred during the 8-4-4 era among learners in Std 7, which corresponds to the age bracket in which the transition to Junior Secondary is to take place.
However, transportation issues have been identified as a barrier to the proper development of day schools.
Suggestions for resolving this include enrolling students in secondary schools only close to their homes.
In the first year of the 2-6-6-3 system, approximately 1.3 million learners enrolled in Grade 4 last year will transition to Junior Secondary School (Grade 7) as the first cohort in 2023.
In the same year, 1,320,395 students who are currently in Std 6 will move to Form 1 under the 8-4-4 system.
As a result, the total number of students entering secondary school in the first year of transition will be 2,6 million in the first year of the CBC.
The secondary school infrastructure can currently accommodate up to 1.1 million students who enrol in the institutions.
This means that if the government fails to significantly expand school infrastructure, 1.5 million students will be unable to enrol in secondary school after completing Std 8 or 6 under the new curriculum.
President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the allocation of Sh8 billion during the Mashujaa Day celebrations to support the construction of 10,000 additional classrooms to support a double transition.
However, given the report’s estimate of one class accommodating 50 students, the 10,000 classes to be built will only accommodate 500,000 students, leaving a deficit of nearly one million.
However, the task force contends that this is a short-term issue, dismissing the need to construct extensive infrastructure to accommodate the population surge.
Instead, the task force proposes a staggered school calendar in which some students attend school while others stay at home.
The strategy is known as double-tracking, and it will involve the government operating two parallel academic calendars.
This means that while some students are in school, others are at home, and when they close, those at home reopen to attend school.
The system, according to the report, will be designed to ensure that all learners cover the syllabus equally.
In junior secondary, students will go through a rigorous career guidance program and be exposed to a diverse curriculum.
Also Read:
- KNQA to Recognize Non-Formal Learning
- Probe Shows Pressure for Good Results Led to Malpractices in 2022 KCSE Exams
- KUCCPS Lists 153 Govt Sponsored Courses for D- and E Students
- Drama Festivals Kick Off in Machakos Region
- Teachers Involvement in Exam Malpractice Uncovered
This will allow them to make informed decisions as they progress to Senior Secondary.
They will be expected to identify areas of interest in the Arts, Sports Science, Social Sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics based on their talents and abilities.
