A total of 465 Secondary School Principals in Kitui County have been trained in preparation for the transition of Junior Secondary School learners to Senior Secondary School come next year.
The principals are for the first time set to handle Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learners hence prompting the Ministry of Education, through Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) to organize the 3-day training with the aim of equipping the tutors with necessary skills and knowledge to effectively implement the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
During the training which was held concurrently at Mulango and Muthale Girls’ Secondary Schools, the school heads drawn from across the vast County were briefed on what to expect as they await to receive the grade 10 class as well as the challenges therein.
Participants in the forum were enlightened on the new CBC guidelines which include selection, placement and admission of the learners to various categories of senior schools across the country.
The senior school learners will have to specialize in one of three pathways which include Arts and Sports science, social sciences, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
While speaking at Mulango Girls High School when he presided over the official closing ceremony of the three-day-long training, Kitui County Director of Education Dr. Issack Hassan disclosed that currently the County expected about 10,000 CBC Junior Secondary School learners to transit to Senior Secondary School.
The County Education Boss said that preparations for the coming transition have been progressing smoothly to ensure there is a successful transition across the county.
Dr. Hassan observed that the county has adequate high school institutions with infrastructure and equipment in place and would accommodate all the ten thousand CBC Grade 10 learners on transition to senior secondary school level.
The Director of Education also assured that placement of the grade 10 learners would be done according to the learners’ choice, merit, psychometric test, equity and school capacity.
Dr. Hassan further explained that senior school learners in grades 10 to 12 shall take 7 subjects; 4 are core subjects, which include English, Kiswahili, community service learning, and physical education; and the other three shall be selected from the pathways and tracks of choice.
“There will be fairness for all learners; they will all have an opportunity to choose their pathway from the 3 pathways of senior school education, which will specialize in STEM, arts and sports science, and social sciences,” said Dr. Hassan.
The County Education Director also emphasized that the new curriculum mandates teachers to be ICT-compliant in order to effectively carry out tasks such as remote learning and live streaming of lessons, where both teachers and learners would engage using technology.
In his final remarks, the County Education Director directed the principals to sensitise all stakeholders at their respective institutions on the oncoming transition of JSS learners to senior secondary school next year to ensure involvement of all actors of the transition.
By Denson Mututo
