Junior Secondary Schools in Molo Sub-County of Nakuru County will start receiving Grade Nine textbooks from next month.
The distribution is scheduled to run between October 1 this year and 31 January 2025 in all the over 20,000 schools identified to host Junior Secondary Schools as assessed by the Ministry.
This is part of the Government’s scheme to supply more than 9.6 million textbooks to public primary schools across the country targeting grade one to grade nine learners by next year.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Basic Education, Dr. Belio Kipsang, said the government is happy that the 1:1 pupil-textbook ratio was being achieved.
He said Kenya was the first country in East Africa to come up with a policy in the education sector where the ratio of grade one to nine textbooks will be 1:1.
“The government is firmly on the path of attaining a 1:1 learner-to-textbook ratio to ensure effective teaching and learning in our schools in the country. These books are expected in all schools that have been found suitable to admit Grade 9 learners,” stated the PS.
Dr. Kipsang, who was speaking in Nakuru County after an assessment on the level of preparedness for transitioning the learners to grade nine, said the government will provide them with all nine textbooks on examinable subjects.
“Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has prepared all the instructional material for Grade Nine learners. We have, together with our publishers, printed all the books that are required. Distribution kicks off in October and ends in January next year,” he added.
The PS emphasized that only the books that have been approved by KICD should be used, as they have undergone rigorous evaluation to suit the learners’ curriculum.
Dr. Kipsang observed that some of the publishers contracted to print and distribute the textbooks for Grade 7 for various subjects, including Oxford University Press, Kenya Literature Bureau, East African Educational Publishers, Longhorn Publishers, Storymoja Publishers, Mountain Top Publishers, Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, Spotlight Publishers, and Moran Publishers, among others.
He also restated that the books to be distributed have been evaluated by measures meeting international standards.
Dr. Kipsang said that while public schools receive books, private schools will buy from bookshops across the country.
He reiterated the state’s commitment through the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to give the over 46,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers permanent employment.
Dr. Kipsang explained that the government had injected Sh18 billion to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for converting the intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms.
“These intern teachers have been very instrumental in firming up the Junior Secondary Schools for the past 3 years. TSC is also going through a rationalisation programme that will see teachers who have advanced their academic level get some job progression,” he disclosed.
The PS disclosed that once the current intern teachers are confirmed, the State plans to hire an additional 20,000 new intern teachers so as to bring the number of teachers in the JSS ecosystem to 76,000.
Additionally, the government is currently constructing 11,000 classrooms nationwide to fully implement junior schools. Meanwhile, the PS announced that the Ksh 3000 capitation allocated to schools will be utilised for maintenance and desk furnishing.
On the other hand, Kipsang revealed that in July this year, the Ministry of Education did an initial pilot on the assessment that the grade 9 learners will do next year, saying that it will help the teachers prepare fully for the type of assessment the learners will do next year.
Another pilot assessment is expected later this year for the grade 6 learners, being a replica of what the learners will do in November next year. Meanwhile, the second pilot will extrapolate placement for grade 10 learners in January 2026, focusing on STEM, humanities, creatives, and sports pathways.
“Learners will have the freedom to choose their pathway, unlike currently, where many categories are based on schools,” said the PS. However, each school will offer at least two pathways, with STEM being a compulsory pathway.
He added that starting January next year, the government will construct a laboratory in every school to be able to prepare for STEM learning. Currently, 1600 junior schools have no laboratories. Thus, his introduction of virtual labs will be a significant step towards leveraging technology.
On school infernos, he at the same time said that the government will review the schools’ safety manual to create a legal framework incorporating punitive measures that will be taken for those not adhering to safety measures.
By Emily Kadzo
