How Headteachers Skip JSS Learners to Class 8 For Money
The Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) has been gaining popularity in Kenya, but there have been reports of school headteachers in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera exploiting the transition to enrich themselves.
A week ago, grade six pupils transitioned to grade seven as standard seven pupils in the old 8-4-4 system join standard eight in preparation for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.
However, education officials in the region have expressed concern over a trend where headteachers are registering grade seven learners for this year’s KCPE exams, in which parents and teachers collude to have these learners dodge the CBC.
Halima is a case in point. She was supposed to be a pioneer student in junior secondary school (JSS), but instead, she is now a KCPE exam candidate in a Mandera school.
She attended a private school and took the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (Kapsea) last year at the end of grade six. However, the Ministry of Education did not approve her school for junior secondary.
To avoid losing business, the school manager approached some parents and asked them to have their children registered to sit the KCPE exam.
Under this plan, Halima and her classmates would skip grade seven in JSS and instead join standard eight and register for the KCPE exam.
To have the pupils registered, parents were asked to make alterations to their children’s birth certificates by changing one name, which is a requirement for exam registration.
The issue was brought to light by Garissa Township Deputy County Commissioner Solomon Chesut, who warned teachers and parents in Garissa against such practices.
He said that teachers involved in this scheme would lose their jobs and that learners were skipping grade seven and joining standard eight under the 8-4-4 system.
Chesut stated that the schools involved have been handed over to investigative agencies for action and that all those involved would be arrested and charged.
North Eastern Regional Coordinator of Education Yusuf Karayu also wrote a letter to county directors of education warning of unauthorised registration of grade seven pupils for KCPE exams.
He warned that such headteachers would be dealt with firmly and held personally accountable for the registration. The ministry has issued all learners, including grade seven pupils, with Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI) numbers to make it easy to trace them.
Despite any tricks that teachers and parents use to have these students skip JSS, they will still be flagged due to the UPI.
In Mandera, county director of Education Abdi Sheikh admitted that the same practices were happening but blamed private schools for the issue.
A reliable source at the Registrar of Persons’ office in Mandera confirmed a high number of applications for changes to birth certificates, most of which are about changing names of the child, parents, or having name spellings changed.
Due to the high demand for changes to birth certificates, some staff at the registrar’s office have opened another office where they are charging between 2,000 and 5,000 Kenyan shillings to have the changes affected.
Records at Mandera education offices showed that a total of 6,608 grade six students joined junior high when only 1,383 joined JSS.
The education ministry must take immediate action to prevent these practices, which interfere with the future of children and undermine the credibility of the education system.
It is imperative that teachers and parents are held accountable for their actions and that the education system is protected from corruption and exploitation.
The CBC is a great opportunity to transform the education system in Kenya, but it must be implemented with integrity and transparency to ensure that every learner receives a quality education that prepares them for their future.
How Headteachers Skip JSS Learners to Class 8 For Money
