The Kenya Union of Primary Teachers (Kuppet) and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) have asked the government to reconsider the decision to use secondary schools in junior secondary schools, saying the young age of the transition students is worrying.
Two teachers’ unions want the government to make secondary schools live in full-time secondary schools.
The union said students at this level would not be able to compete with students in forms 1 to 4 in the current 8-4-4 system because of the age difference.
Students entering Grade Seven, the first form of secondary school, choose their preferred school, and the two unions are concerned that the majority of available places are in boarding schools.
Speaking in Mbale, Vihiga County, Executive Secretary Kuppet Sabala Inyeni said the proposal for full-time high school accommodation in secondary schools will only ease the strain on existing facilities.
Speaking for himself, Knut’s executive secretary, Morris Chalenga Cuppet, argued with his colleagues that minors should move to day school only.
Mr. Inyeni said: “We hope that junior high school classes will start in January. We are concerned that our equipment is inadequate. Children who are expected to move on to secondary school and those who will join secondary school now will not be able to cope with the rest because of the age difference. ”
He also said that allowing younger students to study with older students could lead to bullying and other social problems.
More than 1.28 million students who will start junior high school in January next year will fight for a limited number of prestigious schools. With the double intake expected to strain the school’s resources, the number of pupils in the 8-4-4 system will start Level One at the same time.
Outgoing Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has toured the country to hand over classrooms he claims are meant to house secondary school students.
Prof Magoha has repeatedly assured the state that the classrooms will be ready for use when the transition begins, but Mr Chalenga doubts the ministry’s readiness.
“The government has to burn the midnight oil to make everything work,” he said.
Going to high school is always competitive, and high demand from competitive schools is good. However, the government will now for the first time assign students to private schools based on their preferences.
According to a study by the Task Force on Improving Access, Relevance, Transition, Equity, and Quality to Effectively Implement the Curriculum, 1,489,144 places in secondary schools will be lacking. 29,783 additional classrooms are needed to overcome this problem. Since the 100% transition from primary to secondary was implemented four years ago, secondary schools have been struggling with overcrowding.
Although most parents and students prefer national schools and other tertiary institutions, these are few and far between and most students will be accepted into district schools, most of which are day schools.
