Reasons for Shifting Grade 8 and 9 to Secondary School
Reasons for Shifting Grade 8 and 9 to Secondary School
In order to divide junior secondary education into two phases—with pupils in Grade Seven staying in primary school and those in Grades Eight and Nine moving on to high school—the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has put forth fresh recommendations.
This proposal contrasts with the government’s current approach, which houses all three junior secondary grades in primary school. Akello Misori, the union’s secretary general, urges the government to redirect Grade 8 to secondary school, addressing challenges in Grade 7 within the primary school setting.
Kuppet contends that the one-year implementation of junior secondary school has been fraught with issues and should be discontinued. The union calls for a comprehensive study to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at the junior secondary level. This study, according to Misori, will provide valuable data for future policy decisions.
The suggestion by the union falls in line with its 25th anniversary celebration, which includes Ezekiel Machogu, Cabinet Secretary for Education, attending the Annual Delegates Conference in Nairobi. Kuppet insists on employing 30,000 teachers for Grade 8 if junior secondary school stays in primary school, highlighting the need to prevent the continuation of subpar instruction and underutilization of students’ potential.
Kuppet laments the lack of qualified instructors in junior secondary schools and blames inexperienced or underqualified teachers for the disorderly classrooms they create. The union blames Parliament for inadequately planning and providing insufficient instructors for the anticipated transition and condemns the use of intern teachers to implement CBC at the junior secondary level.
The National Parents Association chairman, Silas Obuhatsa, responds by raising concerns about the financial burden Kuppet’s ideas would place on parents, highlighting the possibility of increased costs for boarding school and uniforms. In order to provide a seamless transition to Grade 8, Obuhatsa recommends that the government concentrate on improving infrastructure in primary schools.
