Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof. George Magoha has assured that construction of 10,000 CBC classrooms will be completed by the end of next year, ready to accommodate Junior Secondary Schools learners come January 2023.
Speaking in Mombasa, Magoha further stated that all local contractors awarded CBC classrooms tenders have already started the works, with the first phase of 5200 classrooms expected to be ready by April 2022.
The CS spoke after breaking grounds for the construction of two classrooms at the Mombasa Secondary School for the physically handicapped and inspecting the construction of a new state of the art Mama Ngina Girls National secondary school in Shanzu, Nyali Sub County.
“We have already mapped out all schools. Therefore, we know where the gap is. There are schools with excess classrooms that will serve as junior secondary schools. There are some with adequate and the required additional classrooms,” he added.
Magoha, who has been touring different counties to oversee the implementation of the Presidential Directive on the Sh8 billion CBC classrooms project in secondary schools, warned contractors against delayed and poor workmanship.
The CS further stated that most of the construction works have started across the country except in few regions, where he directed National Government officials mandated to implement the project to kick start the process without further undue delay.
Magoha said his Ministry in collaboration with the other agencies is working tirelessly to ensure transition to the junior secondary school is implemented without hitches.
The CS further stated that text books that would be used by CBC grade 6 learners, who are expected to sit for the national examination in December 2022, before transiting to junior secondary school in January 2023, will be printed and distributed by April 2022.
The CS said the ministry has spent Sh28.8 billion since 2018 to purchase textbooks for learners in public primary and secondary schools.
“It is important to note that we have five national examinations next year. The two normal ones, in March. Then they will be another three. The normal KCPE and KCSE and then grade 6 examinations, which will be responsible for 40 percent. Those three shall be done in December,” he added.
Magoha further assured the country of his ministry’s commitment to deliver quality education under the CBC education system, through provision of enough learning and teaching resources in all public primary and secondary schools.
“Text books are available to every child. If one were to look back from 2018, we saved 70 percent and spent excess of Sh28.8 billion. We are going to ensure by the time we go to grade 6 April next year, grade 6 text books, which are currently printed, will be distributed to all children,” he said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had earlier on directed the National Treasury to avail to the Ministry of Education Sh.8 billion for the construction of 10,000 classrooms in secondary schools across all counties in the country. The programme was planned to be implemented in two phases.
The CS thanked the multi-agency team comprising the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and other State Agencies for working tirelessly to develop a roadmap of implementation of the project.
The CS further revealed that the Ministry has disbursed funds to schools ahead of opening of the third term school calendar on 4th January, 2022.
By Galgalo Bocha and Riziki Tokal
