Junior Secondary Confusion As Learning Is Yet To Resume In Several Schools
Several schools for junior secondary school (JSS) students have not yet begun lessons due to a lack of teachers, inadequate facilities, and administrative challenges.
The scenario has left the majority of principals confused of how to execute the system without exceeding their authority.
The majority of institutions operate in accordance with their understanding of the programme.
Some head teachers and education authorities were indecisive about how to address the numerous teething problems in JSS, according to interviews.
Collins Oyuu, general secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), stated that the government should expedite the hiring of more teachers to address a number of challenges.
“There are some that do not have a single JSS teacher, and in some cases, the ministry has only posted one,” said Mr Oyuu.
Moses Maranda, the principal of the Migori Primary School, stated that as the secretary of the newly-formed Junior Secondary School committee, he is still in charge of the Junior Secondary students.
He mentioned that the junior high school has approximately 200 students whose classrooms are separate from those of the primary school.
The school anticipates more than 100 additional enrollments but will continue to share facilities with the primary section.
According to Maranda, they are employing elementary school instructors to instruct JSS students in the school’s five JSS streams.
“They posted five junior secondary teachers to handle 12 subjects and only four have reported,” he added.
Maranda stated that the school employs trained primary teachers to assist the government-deployed JSS instructors. Additionally, the school has hired two additional cooks.
In some schools, despite having more than three JSS student streams, just one teacher has been assigned.
Two primary schools in Kisumu would like to use the labs and libraries at Kisumu Girls and Kisumu Boys.
“There is confusion. We have many unanswered questions, and we will lose a lot of learning hours if the issues are not resolved. We have already received the syllabus but only two teachers understand it,” said a head teacher in Kisumu Central.
Director of Education for Migori County, Jacob Onyiego, stated that he had urged school administrators to hire teachers other than those assigned by the government for JSS.
“Teachers have been advised to reorganize their timetables so that they can take care of JSS,” Mr Onyiego said.
He stated that the Junior Secondary Schools are led by interim principals.
Currently, ninety percent of JSS students in the county are reporting.
Out of the Sh15,000 that the government would provide per Junior Secondary student, Sh4,000 will be allocated to infrastructure development.
Another issue is how to govern junior secondary schools, specifically whether they should be under the Board of Management (BOM) of elementary schools.
Some schools have established special committees to serve as school leaders.
Some head teachers asserted that there are no financial guidelines for JSS because the Ministry of Education has not disclosed the account signatories.
A principal who requested anonymity informed The Standard that they intend to recruit parents to help them bridge the gaps that have prevented them from beginning courses.
JSS students in Homa Bay have been attending school daily but returning home without learning.
Only one JSS teacher has been assigned to Sing’enge Primary School in the Ndhiwa Sub-county.
John Omollo, the principal, stated that they are awaiting the assignment of additional teachers and that the shortage has made it impossible to begin instruction.
“I have only one teacher who has been posted but the subjects taught are 12,” Omollo said.
He stated that they had only got four textbooks.
The school’s BOM is currently assisting in the planning of how to handle the JSS students.
At Shauri Yako Primary, four teachers have been hired.
John Ogutu, the principal, stated that despite confronting obstacles, the school must persist.
However, while the teachers continue to grapple with the obstacles, education officials urge them to think creatively and emphasise that there should be no uncertainty.
Henry Onderi, chairman of the Kisii County Education Board, stated that there should be no doubt over JSS.
Elijah Makori, founder of St Joseph’s Nyasore Academy in Nyamira, stated that the program was filled with confusion.
“We are to employ graduate and diploma teachers; it is not easy to split the two learning centres. The announcement to have JSS domiciled in primary came as a surprise, we now need to raise funds to cater for human resources and put up other extra structures.”
The government should support the private school financially and with textbooks, according to Makori. “We play a crucial role in ensuring that more than half of our students are retained.
We are supplementing government education programs with quality education.
According to Makori, it would take school administrators some time to comprehend how to run the program.
Junior Secondary Confusion As Learning Is Yet To Resume In Several Schools
