Education Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang has delayed commissioning a grade nine classroom at Barracks Primary School in Isiolo County and has ordered the construction of three more classes within three to four months.
However, Dr. Kipsang said he would return to the school to commission the four classes once they are completed, adding the school committee assured him that the funds were available to finish the project.
He observed that 200 students were transiting to grade 9 in the public school, which is hosted at the Military ground and therefore it was necessary to have four new classes to accommodate them at the recommended ratio of 50 pupils per class.
“We will come back here soon and commission the four classes when completed as the school board has assured us,” Dr. Kipsang said.
The PS added that text books for grade 9 learners were already supplied to schools, where each student will have nine books for the nine learning subjects in the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) education system.
“To take care of the grade nine learners next year, the government was going to hire 20,000 intern teachers and as well absorb the 46,000 who had been teaching for two years on a permanent basis,” the PS added.
He explained that some of the teaching staff in Primary schools would also be considered for promotion to make a total of 90,000 teachers required in Junior Secondary next year.
Dr. Kipsang revealed that the guidelines for grade 10 learning were in place adding the government was ready to ensure the new education system was successful.
He also said the government was out to finance construction of 1600 laboratories in secondary schools in January to April next year to enhance science teaching in the education system.
On the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Dr. Kipsang said each candidate has details and photos printed on the question papers so that in case of malpractices, individual candidates would be held responsible for allowing someone else to use their papers.
The move, he said, would curb printing of excess papers and photocopying of the question papers where there was shortage.
Lastly, the KCSE that began on October 22, will end on Friday, November this year.
By Sarah Dadacha and David Nduro
