As the admission of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) students under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) kicks-off, the turn up at Kirinyaga Central is satisfactory, especially in most public schools, while the private schools have registered relatively low numbers of students so far.
Speaking at Kerugoya Municipality Primary School while assessing the admission of students, Kirinyaga Central Director of Education, Mr. Kennedy Machora, stated that the turn up in public schools is around 90 per cent while that of private schools is slightly over 40 per cent.
Kirinyaga Central Sub-county has a total of 1,697 slots with public schools having 821 vacancies, while private schools 876 positions.
“The total number of students who sat the assessment exams were over 2,300 in general with 1,774 students from public schools and 624 students from private schools and going by the progress we have seen, by tomorrow we expect 100 per cent transition.”
“All we are waiting is for the government to issue textbooks for the students, to start learning and the same teachers are the ones to teach the Junior Secondary School students,” said Mr. Machora.
Solomon Munene, National Vice Chairperson of Private Schools Association, stated that there is a good turn up in private schools and they are ready to start as they have all the facilities on set.
Mr. Munene, who is also Director of Kerugoya Municipality Schools, urges the government to assist the parents who may not have the ability, to purchase all required textbooks.
“The students have turned up in good numbers and we have all the facilities ready. We have the laboratories, the classes and the books that parents helped in buying. Our big cry is on the government to help the private schools in getting the textbooks that it has helped public schools get as there is no big difference on public and private schools,” said Mr. Solomon.
The Government is keen to ensure 100 per cent transition both from grade six to junior secondary and class eight to form one.
Machora said they will ensure they achieved the agenda by working with all relevant stakeholders in education, security and community at large.
By Ondu Dorcas
