As two teachers’ unions dispute on the preparations and placement of the new level of study, the argument over the move to junior secondary school does not appear to be ending any time soon.
Junior secondary school children must remain in primary schools, according to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), who argues that the strategy can rely on current infrastructure.
Although the junior secondary is a part of the secondary school curriculum, the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Instructors (Kuppet) argues that primary school teachers lack the ability to instruct the children and that the level should be shifted to high schools.
Kuppet also wants the government to allocate money in their budget for the expenditures associated with building new classrooms for private schools.
Despite Education Cabinet Secretary George’s best efforts, the opposite views are revealed.
During a gathering of private schools this week in Mombasa, Magoha also disclosed that only a small number of primary schools with sufficient facilities will be permitted to anchor junior secondary schools.
The junior secondary school, according to Knut Secretary-General Collins Oyuu (above), should remain in elementary schools.
Oyuu claims that since there is already infrastructure in place at the elementary school level, there is no need to construct classrooms in secondary schools.
He adds that pupils in grades 7 and 8 will be housed in class 7 and 8 and that the emphasis should be on teacher recruitment and training.
According to Oyuu, “the government can plan to construct more classrooms for Grade Nine in the near future.”
CS Magoha gave an explanation of why the Ministry of Education had altered earlier intentions to host junior secondary students at secondary schools, claiming that they had been obliged to “step back” because of conditions in the private sector.
“We are telling the private primary schools that you can create stand-alone junior schools. It’s a win-win situation, ” he said
However, in order to prevent putting education through a profit-making business and ruthless rivalry, the action may need to be more extensive, according to Kuppet Secretary General Akello Misori.
According to Misori, the government ought to fund junior secondary students with grants and initiate the process of moving junior secondary pupils.
As a trade union, KNUT supports enhancing public education, and Oyuu opposes privatizing education.
Misori continued by saying that the Ministry should not assign private organizations the task of delivering a public good.
“If it has to be done, the government should provide guidelines on implementation, like it happens in schools in the US, where the government gives charter schools grants to accommodate pupils without discrimination.”
“This guarantees quality across schools is similar to prevent cutthroat competition and exploitation.”
