The Government has assured parents in far-flung areas in Tana River County that their children who sat for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will be domiciled in primary schools in their localities.
The parents had raised concerns over the fate of their children as it had emerged that some schools that lack the enrolment or infrastructural capacity will be merged.
However, the Ministry of Education says that for schools in geographically expansive, low-density, and insecurity-prone regions and learners with special needs and disabilities, the government will implement appropriate affirmative action regardless of the enrolments.
“From the circular, affirmative action will apply in vast counties like Tana River, we will not use enrollment, and numbers will apply in urban centers like Hola municipality,
Primary Schools in hard-to-reach areas like Wayu, Assa, and Waldena will have Junior Secondary Schools. The numbers of schools were even few here in Tana, with 180 primary schools parents have no reason to worry,’’ said County Director of Education, Khalif Hassan.
9196 students in 180 primary schools who sat for KPSEA in Tana are expected to transit to Junior Secondary Schools end of January.
The County Director of Education Khalif Hassan said they are a raft of preparation going on in the county to ensure a seamless transition to Junior Secondary Schools.
“Teacher Service Commission has roll out recruitment in Tana River, Tana Delta, Tana North, Bangale, and Galledyertu sub-counties. We have a multi-agency team assessing the suitability of Primary Schools before admission of JSS learners”, said Khalif Hassan.
“For teachers who are in primary schools, we are retooling them to equip them with new methods of teaching CBC. Currently, Training of Trainers (ToT) is being held at Lisa school for the deaf it will be cascaded to sub-counties,’’ divulged the County Director of Education.
He further said that one secondary school teacher will be deployed in the JSS and from the ongoing assessment of the suitability of schools they will discern teachers who have diplomas and degrees that can teach in the JSS.
On infrastructure, the County Education Director said Members of Parliament have been requested through the CDF to build one laboratory and one classroom in all public primary schools that will host JSS.
“The JSS will be managed by the existing Board of Management of primary schools. They will be trained. We will appoint the executive board chairman of JSS who will be a degree holder, the head teacher will be a signatory they will get capitation from the Ministry of Education,’’ said Khalif Hassan, County Director of Education.
By Sadik Hassan
