A competency-based curriculum, the CBC, the leading section of which will include a junior section. The debate over who should host the school has been going on for some time but now, it is official that it will be domiciled in secondary schools but not primary.
State Department PS Fatuma Chege yesterday sought to set a record for the implementation of CBC reforms.
According to PS Chege, some primary schools are allowed to host junior secondary school classes, the school will be independent of the primary section with its own board of management. The move is likely to put more pressure on the human resources already overworked with the Teachers Service Commission, TSC, and plans to hire more teachers.
The situation is complicated with the 100 per cent transition started by the government a few years back. The commission is set to hire 5000 teachers this year, which is a drop in the ocean, with the only other option being to promote teachers with degrees in primary schools.
Bearing in mind that primary schools would be without eighth and seventh grades, so the workload would be less. If TSC encourages primary teachers to work in secondary schools to handle junior students, the salaries of these teachers will need to be reformed.
Last week, nominated MP Wilson Sossion petitioned Parliament to force TSC to recognize teachers who have pursued their studies.
More than 30,000 teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission have been considered first in the increment.
According to TSC boss Dr. Nancy Macharia, B5, which is mostly for primary school teachers, has been deprived for many years. Most teachers in this job group are forgotten when it comes to salary hikes
There are six positions in this job group. Both the passengers and accommodation allowance are same in all the six notches. Basic pay varies from one ramk to another.
The teacher in the first rank earns a basic salary of 21,756 shillings while the teacher in the sixth rank draws a basic salary of 21,197 shillings.
Similarly, a school located in areas mapped as hard-hit areas will get hardship allowance. A grade B5 teacher will get a monthly allowance of 6,600 shillings notches.
There are six steps. Each rank has a different salary. The salary increases from the first rank to the highest rank. Physical disability is another factor that contributes to the amount a teacher can take home.
In this job group, a teacher who is physically handicapped is entitled to a disability guide allowance of 20,000 shillings per month.
Most teachers in this job group are forgotten when it comes to salary hikes. It is their time to remember and Macharia assures them that from next year onwards, their payslips will read differently.
