The Ministry of Education has started planning the identification of schools that will host the junior secondary schools.
A nationwide inspection in primary schools has started to ascertain the level of preparedness of the junior secondary schools after the Education Working Committee recommended that junior secondary schools be domiciled at primary schools.
The ministry has come up with a criterion of selecting the schools that will host junior secondary, the exercise started yesterday at county level.
At least 34,500 pupils are set to transition from grade six to grade seven in their former primary schools once schools reopen on January 23, 2023. Among them are 12,592 from public schools and 22,000 from private schools.
During the inspection, education stakeholders will check on the qualification of teachers, school enrollment and the facilities available before approving any institution to admit students in grade seven.
Addressing the media on Tuesday in Mombasa, County Director of Education Peter Magiri said that a committee comprising of different education stakeholders among them Teacher Service Commission (TSC), Directors of Education and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) are moving within schools to check the infrastructure and conduct teachers’ headcount and ascertain their qualification.
Magiri said that there is an assessment tool that has been issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Education through the Department of Quality Assurance which the officers visiting the institutions will use to check all the set parameters.
He said that all the schools will be visited as the education officials will capture all the relevant details that are required, the key one being enrollment of a school.
“The enrollment matters first, the second one is matters of the physical facility, does it have enough space to expand for extra classes, does it have enough play ground as we all know the new curriculum is all about activities are very important,” he said.
He noted that they will also consider the number of teachers and their qualifications that are relevant to the profession.
“In junior secondary schools, we are looking at the content and not just the placement. This one is a separate entity in the school and all these details will be captured before schools reopen as we make our report,” he added.
He said they will also be keen on private schools, especially on the teaching staff, unqualified teachers will not be approved.
He stated that the government is very keen in all aspects and parameters and in a case where some schools do not meet the requirements to have a junior secondary, they will be named as feeder schools.
Magiri said that the ministry has put in place measures to improve the standards of education in the country to ensure every child gets quality education.
He further urged parents to desist from being lured by con artists into buying school uniforms of any learning institution until they get a clear communication from the government about placement of their children.
He said there is no school as for now that has been given an okay to run junior secondary because the exercise has just started.
In a move to establish a structured framework on the transition process to the junior secondary school, the government has kicked a countrywide retooling of trainers of trainers and teachers on how to embark on the junior secondary education in preparation of school reopening and enrolment.
“Textbooks to be used for junior secondary education are ready awaiting distribution once placement of students is done,” said Magiri.
By Chari Suche
