Majority of parents in Kakamega County want the prescribed Junior Secondary schools under the Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) domiciled in primary schools, based on the underage status of grade six learners.
Speaking at Bishop Sulumeti Girls Secondary School Monday, while submitting their views to the Presidential Taskforce Committee set to review reforms on the CBC, Kakamega County Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Chairman, Patrick Chungane set the ball rolling by saying the youngsters were also likely be subjected to molestation by senior students.
He faulted the previous administration for failing to subject the review of the education system through a commission as has been the case in the past, saying this is why they were opposed to the system from the start.
“We propose junior secondary schools be domiciled in primary schools due to age and maturity of learners as day scholars cannot walk long distances, while a number of them are still bed wetting,” Chungane said amidst laughter.
“Junior secondary should be renamed senior primary and be domiciled in primary schools, since single CBC classrooms that were recently set up in secondary schools have already been taken up by current students,” he added.
Chungane said secondary school teachers are ill prepared for CBC since they were never trained.
He instead proposed that primary school teachers with diploma, degree and master’s degrees be allowed to teach in the proposed senior primary.
Several other speakers also supported the suggestion, noting that primary schools will have vacant classrooms if the move is effected as presently structured, while overstretching learning facilities in secondary schools.
According to them, the object of the curriculum is instrumental in nurturing talents, but would only be effective if the government provides the learning materials and also employs enough teachers.
“CBC learning is practical, if done at one’s pace, there is reduced pressure and learners become more innovative and creative,” said a student representative from Mukumu Girls School.
The committee chaired by Prof. Winston Akala was also told that the Kenya National Examination Council should establish clear guidelines on assessment of learners, saying the current system was giving teachers a lot of leeway to award marks.
Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula and Lurambi Member of Parliament Titus Khamala expressed their opposition to delocalization of teachers that is being implemented by the Teachers Service Commission with the latter saying he had already submitted a motion in Parliament for its scrapping.
Area County Commissioner John Ondego also attended the function.
By George Kaiga
