Primary Head Teachers Ready For Junior High School Learners.
Yesterday, primary head teachers attending their annual conference in Mombasa applauded the president’s decision to house junior secondary students in primary schools.
According to the heads, most primary school teachers have earned advanced degrees and are qualified to teach seventh, eighth, and ninth-grade students.
Johnson Nzioka, chairman of the Kenya Primary School Head Teachers Association (Kepsha), stated at the Sheikh Zayed Children Welfare Centre in Mombasa that over sixty percent of primary school teachers are college graduates.
He stated that space had been created in primary schools by individuals who (sat their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exam last week) and that housing junior high in primary schools has saved the government the agony of a complete transition.
“We appreciate the presidential working party on education reforms for its report. What has come out is in the best interest of our children.
“This is our prayer well answered,” Nzioka said they were hopeful the Teachers Services Commission (TSC) would hire 30,000 new teachers by January as promised.
Tomorrow, President William Ruto is slated to formally launch the annual conference with the topic “Managing the transition of Competency-Based Curriculum for effective nurturing of each learner’s potential.”
The conference will feature speeches from Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, TSC Chairman Jamleck Muturi, CEO Nancy Macharia, and Mombasa Governor Abdullah Nassir.
Parents and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) wanted junior high schools to be in primary schools.
In contrast, the Kenya Post Primary Teachers Union (Kuppet) advocated hosting it in secondary schools.
Peter Koigi, a St. Elizabeth Primary School teacher, stated that they are prepared to handle students in Grades 7, 8, and 9.
Mr. Koigi, who thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance, said that the move would be easy now that teachers had had enough time to learn about secondary education.
“What we’re looking for is that ability to spend a bit of time to reflect on what we’ve got in place and ensure that we learn those lessons to ensure that curriculum is as good as it can be and as exciting as it can be moving forward,” he said.
Paul Wanjohi, vice chairman of Alternative Providers of Basic Education and Training (APBET), stated that schools are prepared for the January transfer and that primary school teachers understand students better than their high school colleagues.
“We do feel that we are in a good position as APBET schools. I think it’s important that we really embrace this opportunity to host junior secondary in our schools,” he noted.
Knut Secretary General Collins Oyuu stated that the task force followed their proposals.
“We are home and dry. We have scored highly in this game since most of our recommendations have been captured in totality. What we presented has been taken care of,” Mr. Oyuu said.
However, Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori states that junior secondary housing in primary schools will increase infrastructural strain.
He said Keeping children in primary school for longer does not boost a child’s ability to study; the emphasis should be on delivering quality teaching and learning in high school, as high schools have the capacity compared to primary.
Primary Head Teachers Ready For Junior High School Learners.
