The first batch of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) learners join Junior Secondary School (JSS) today amidst utter confusion over teachers’ placement, uniforms and several other technicalities.
The more than a million learners join JSS at a time the government is yet to finalise the recruitment and deployment of the 30,000 teachers scheduled to teach in the newly introduced section of schools.Government is faced with the headache of teacher shortage and inadequate facilities.
Though the Government released guidelines on the JSS last week, teachers, parents and other education stakeholders say there are many grey areas yet to be addressed.
But amidst the challenges, the government has directed head teachers to make do with the available resources and infrastructure as they admit the learners.
There are fears too that the 30,000 teachers being recruited, which will translate to one teacher per school, may not be enough since some schools have more than three streams.
And as per Education ministry’s guidelines on JSS, learners will be taught nine lessons per day for five days (45 per week) with each lesson allocated 40 minutes, an indication that more teachers will be required. Primary school teachers allocate 35 minutes per lesson.
Guidelines also stipulate that parents would be required to cater for their children’s meals and yet the government is yet to set the amount of money to be paid. Apparently, parents with students in secondary schools pay Sh4,000 per term for meals.
Whereas Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said that Grade Six pupils transitioning to JSS will be required to wear a different colour or type of uniform that will differentiate them from primary school pupils, most schools are yet to come up with the designs and colours, leaving parents in confusion.
