Why Principals Favor Moving Grade 8 to Secondary School.
In recent discussions, school administrators have strongly advocated for moving Grade 8 students from primary to secondary schools. The Ministry of Education faces pressure from principals to reallocate junior secondary school students between primary and secondary institutions. The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), implemented last year, includes Grades 7 through 9 in junior secondary. However, primary schools struggle to adapt to this new framework. Consequently, principals now call for Grades 8 and 9 students to transition to secondary schools.
Principals’ Appeal at Kessha Conference
During the annual Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) conference in Mombasa County, principals voiced their concerns. They highlighted that secondary schools, unlike primary schools, already possess essential facilities such as laboratories. Principals emphasized the need for students to move to secondary schools due to primary schools’ inadequate readiness.
Willy Kuria, the national head of Kessha, stated, “We are not even close to being primary schools. We have teachers, labs, classrooms, and other essential infrastructure. We are not as bad off as primary schools.” According to the current plan, students will spend three years in senior school after 11 years in pre-primary, primary, and junior school. Originally, the Basic Education Curriculum Framework’s intention is to house junior school to be in high schools. However, the administration revised this plan based on recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
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Resource Utilization
Kuria questioned, “Will the youngster develop in those three years to be prepared for college? Where are the resources to allow a youngster to attend elementary school for eleven years (a lesser evil)?” He pointed out that current infrastructure, including laboratories and classrooms, will remain idle without a Form One class next year. Grade 9 students can utilize these spaces, as secondary schools have sufficient personnel and infrastructure.
Murang’a High School’s principal noted that once pupils advance to Form 2, twelve Form One classrooms will be vacant. He suggested that junior school students use these underutilized secondary school classrooms instead of the government building more primary school classrooms. Abdi Noor, principal of Sabunley Secondary School and Kessha official, argues that schools should not place junior secondary students in primary schools solely based on their age. The learner’s skills, interests, and career choices should determine their placement in senior school.
Students will have the opportunity to choose from various pathways, including STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), social sciences, the arts, and sports. Each pathway offers different courses and educational opportunities aligned with specific career paths. The 42-member Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, led by Prof. Raphael Munavu, consulted with parents, educators, religious authorities, school administrators, and other key players in the field of education before formulating its proposals. This group was established in 2022.
State’s Position on Grade 9
Despite the urgent need to build more learning facilities, Ezekiel Machogu, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, has emphasized that Grade 9 students will be taught in primary schools. This decision has led to a push-and-pull situation among stakeholders over where to place Grade 9 students. As the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms gathered feedback, the consensus was that students need to stay in elementary school for seven years. However, after the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), students move on to secondary school, where they continue studying CBC, which they first encountered in seventh grade.
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Support from Educational Unions
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers, which advocates for secondary school teachers, has previously supported Kessha’s viewpoint. Collins Oyuu, Secretary-General of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, stated in an interview with The Nation that junior secondary teachers lack the necessary skills to instruct students. He mentioned that Knut is drafting a policy document to determine who should remain in junior secondary school. Oyuu urged the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education to discuss Junior Secondary (JS).
In conclusion, the debate over moving Grade 8 to secondary schools centers on resource availability, infrastructure utilization, and the quality of education. Secondary schools are better equipped to handle the needs of Grade 8 and 9 students due to their existing facilities and personnel. As the education system evolves, it is crucial to ensure that students receive the best possible learning environment to prepare them for future academic and career success.
Why Principals Favor Moving Grade 8 to Secondary School.
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