Junior secondary schools’ grade 9 will be domiciled in primary schools. This follows the Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’s revelation  that 16,000 classrooms will be constructed in primary schools across the country in readiness for the transition of learners to Grade 9 next year.

Belio’s speech was read on his behalf by the Director of Projects Coordination and Delivery Elijah Mungai at Olympics Primary School in Kibra Sub-county in Nairobi on Thursday.

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Belio said the government plans to construct 10 additional classrooms in the school to cater for the learners who will transit to grade nine next year.

“We welcome the World Bank to support and partner with the government to build even more classrooms in this school,” Belio said.

The 2025 Grade 9 class will be the first cohort to finish Junior Secondary School under CBC.

World Bank Vice President for Human Development Mamta Murthi had visited the school.

World Bank Group Manager Practice, Education Meskerem Mulatu, World Bank Nairobi Senior Educational  Specialist Ruth Charo, Deputy County Commissioner Odidi Otieno, and Nairobi Regional Director for Education Margaret Lesuuda among other senior officials in education were also present.

Murthi said the schooling system in Kenya was ably imparting to learners to gain skills, attitudes, and values that students ought to acquire.

She said Kenya was also doing well in the enrolment rate of children in schools, noting that education was a critical factor in determining the future of a country.

Deputy County Commissioner Odidi Otieno said the government worked through its structures to ensure 100 per cent transition of learners from Primary to secondary education.

The Headteacher of Olympics Primary School Cyrus Okumu said that the school had developed a friendly learning environment and an excellent instructional for learners in the school.

He attributed the huge learner population of 5108 to a supportive teaching and non-teaching staff that made learning enjoyable.

“Children keep coming back to school because of the good learning experiences good pedagogy creates,” Okumu said.

The government’s recent move to reduce the number of subjects and lessons in primary and Junior Secondary Schools has left confusion among learners and teachers, with the latter being forced to teach subjects they never trained in.

And despite having merged some subjects, the government is yet to approve and release new books for use by the teachers, adding both a financial burden and more confusion to parents who had already purchased books used under the previous curriculum that had learners in primary schools studying 14 subjects.

Indimuli urged the government to address and streamline challenges that have arisen out of the recent rationalisation of the curriculum content.

Teachers are now being forced to teach subjects they neither traind in nor are well versed as the effects of the new curriculum design begins to bite.

Most hard hit are learners who have joined Grade Eight as the government is yet to approve books for all languages, Science and Environment. Learners in other grades have been forced to use old books that were in place before the changes.

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Learners in Grade Eight have also found themselves in an awkward position after the government made Home Science , performing arts, visual arts and computer compulsory. Previously, the subjects were optional. “How do you expect a learner who has never studied a subject like computer or home science since Grade Three to cope with it in Grade Eight? This is introducing confusion to the young learners for nothing,” Lucy Mwaura, a parent in Ruiru said.

Parents and schools who had purchased textbooks previously used before the introduction of the rationalisation of curriculum content are now staring at incurring huge losses as they will have to buy new books in line with the new changes.

Teachers and parents are now blaming the government for having rushed on the integration of learning areas in a bid to reduce the subject workload for learners as recommended by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform (PWPER).

The PWPER recommended that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development rationalise the number of learning areas and curriculum designs in terms of scope and integration of subjects within learning areas, gaps, content overload and overlaps in Basic Education as follows.

In new changes announced by Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang last month, primary education has been divided into two– lower and upper– and the number of subjects reduced by two at each level.

In lower primary, learners are now taking only seven subjects spread across 31 lessons per week. This is a reduction from the present nine subjects covered in 35 lessons each week. Hygiene and Nutrition Activities that had been taught as independent subjects have been integrated within Environmental Activities with four lessons each week.

Art, Craft, Music and Physical Education subjects will now be taught collectively as Creative Arts with seven lessons lined up for the new subject per week.

In upper primary, learners will now take only eight subjects that will be taught in 35 lessons per week. Agriculture has been integrated with Home Science into one composite subject referred to as Agriculture and Nutrition that will have four lessons per week. Art & Craft, Music and Physical Education have now been compressed into a single subject known as Creative Arts with a total of seven lessons every week. In Junior Secondary, five subjects were slashed and now students will take nine lessons.

Integrated Science and Health Education will now be taught as one subject known as Integrated Science. Social Studies and Life Skills Education have been merged and is referred to as Social Studies. Pre-technical Studies, Computer Studies, and Business Studies are all merged into a new composite subject known as pre-technical studies.

Agriculture and aspects of Home Science have been integrated into one composite subject referred as Agriculture & Nutrition with four lessons per week. However, other concepts of Home Science have been integrated within Integrated Science.

Pre-technical Studies, Computer Studies and Business Studies have been integrated into one composite subject referred to as Pre-Technical Studies.

Physical Education and Sports, Visual Arts and Performing Arts have been integrated into one composite subject referred to as Creative Arts and Sports.

Under the new integrated subjects, teachers in JSS who only studied business studies have been forced to teach new learning areas of pre-technology, performing arts, visual arts and business after they were combined under a subject called pre-tech studies. A teacher handling creative arts has now been forced to teach arts, craft, music and physical education.

Likewise, a trained Biology teacher is now handling Physics and Chemistry after the previously health combined with other subjects to become integrated science.

“It is no longer about what you were trained in, but what you must do. Whoever is handling the five learning areas of Creative arts and sports; Pre-Technical Studies ; Agriculture and Nutrition; Integrated Science and Social Studies is actually handling 12 learning areas without knowing it,” one teacher told the People Daily on condition of anonymity.

According to Jonathan Wesaya, an educationist, public engagement and strategy consultant, though the move to reduce the number of subjects is commendable, it was rushed.

Wesaya says the government ought to have first worked on the curriculum design and approved and released the requisite books before announcing the integration of subjects.

The teachers said the contracts they were given came with a stipend of Sh20,000 and only Sh17,000 is left after deduction.

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They want to be confirmed as the first cohort of junior secondary school intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms in January 2024.

“No intern teacher from the first cohort will renew their internship contract except the signing confirmation letters on permanent and pensionable terms,” the teachers said on Friday at the KUPPET offices where they held peaceful demos.

The teachers now want TSC to harmonise the monthly stipend for junior secondary school intern teachers to that of interns in other government ministries between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 due to the high cost of living.

“Are teachers lesser civil servants?” they posed.

The teachers feel there is a discriminatory employment policy.

They want TSC to explain why intern secondary teachers in junior secondary are being denied a chance to apply for teaching positions in senior secondary schools yet they’re of the same qualifications.

“Why has the Teachers Service Commission since Feb 2023 never openly advertised for teaching positions in Senior secondary?” they posed.

The teachers said they were promised permanent and pensionable terms by mid this year but TSC now says that will come in 2025.

The clerics stated that the introduction of family planning and the use of contraceptives for young learners will sexualise the learning environment and be the biggest contributor to the high rates of teenage pregnancies and abortion.

In a statement, Tuesday, at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops chairman Paul Njiru said such educational content will only encourage the use of contraception among learners.

“Upon sampling a few books targeted at teaching Grade 7 learners, we have noted a worrying trend in terms of content,” Njiru said.

“For instance, looking at the Grade 7 learners book titled “Top Scholar Health Education” on page 127 and the Grade 7 teachers guide titled “Health Education In Action” on page 153, the content is both explicit and inappropriate for learners at Grade 7.

“We observe that the said content is against the Ministry of Education Policy that children should not be exposed to such explicit content.”

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Commission For Education and Religious Education vice chancellor bishop Mark Kadima also said comprehensive sex education doesn’t brighten any child’s future, but it exposes them to the disruption from the widely celebrated education goals.

“While acknowledging the important role that the Ministry of Education plays in protecting children from age-inappropriate content, we urge that the ministry removes with speed and initiates the removal of sub-strand 7.2 on reproductive health from all learning materials and withdrawal of the mentioned books and any other book in the market that contains similar content,” he said.

Kadima asked all schools and parents to remain vigilant and ensure that the course books they are using do not contain any inappropriate reproductive health content.

“As schools open for the third term when this strand is supposed to be taught, we advise the teachers to pluck all th   e pages containing reproductive health content and entirely withdraw the books containing this strand from their shelves so that learners do not access any inappropriate content,” he added.

Njiru asked the Ministry of Education to immediately recall the inclusion of the reproductive health strand in all Grade 7 books.

The quality of education offered to learners in Junior Secondary is very low, Kabuchai MP Majimbo Kalasinga has said.

Kalasinga said he is unhappy with how the Ministry of Education is implementing the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) Education.

Speaking on Friday in his constituency when he laid stone for the construction of a new school, Majimbo said JSS education being offered  is of low quality.

The MP said Kenya risks having shortage of professionals if the government won’t address the JSS challenge now.

He said Kenya was not ready to implement the competency-based curriculum.

The Ford Kenya MP further called on the Teachers Service Commission to employ more teachers to help in impacting the skills of JSS learners.

He argues that Junior Secondary Schools are facing challenges in practical lessons.

“Academies are trying in terms of practical lessons but the problem is in public schools,” he said, adding that the government should also focus on investing in JSS practical lessons.

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Majimbo said he decided to set up a new secondary school at Kiboochi area Luuhya/ Bwake ward after realising that learners are walking for a longer distance to access education.

He affirmed that Kabuchai NG-CDF has already allocated money to facilitate the construction of four classrooms and a block of washrooms.

He said the school will be under the Catholic church.

Majimbo warned students against burning schools saying those found stern action will be taken against them.

Also present was Bungoma Catholic Diocese Bishop Mark Kadima who lauded the MP for the bold move to build a new school in the area to accommodate those who travel for longer distances to access education.

Kadima noted that the church will fully support the school’s growth.

MPs want the government to develop a comprehensive policy and allocate sufficient funds to ensure the successful implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

They have asked the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to expedite the process of retooling teachers.

The legislators said this will help in ensuring that adequate number of educators well-versed in the CBC and capable of effectively delivering the curriculum will be posted to schools.

Debating on a motion sponsored by Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku on the development of a policy and funding for Junior Secondary Schools, the legislators noted that the CBC will prepare the country for Vision 2030 and enable students to thrive in a modern and ever-changing world.

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“As we respond to this motion, we must establish a comprehensive framework for curriculum development, ensuring sufficient numbers of well-trained and competent teachers in our junior secondary schools,” said Ruku.

“We must also make sure we have enough learning resources in our schools and a proper monitoring and evaluation framework. Not forgetting, the involvement of parents and the community in the implementation of the CBC,” he added.

The motion seeks to introduce interventions that will aid the Ministry of Education to develop a comprehensive Junior Secondary Schools Policy in order to standardize and consolidate the guidelines outlined in the Basic Education Act of 2012.

“The planned law also seeks to ensure the establishment and operation of Junior Secondary Schools in every primary school,” Ruku said.

3)Mathematics

4)Integrated Science

5)Social Studies

6) Business Studies

7)Agriculture

8)Pre-Technical and Pre-Career Studies

9)Religious Studies Education

1. i) Christian Religious Education (CRE).
2. ii) Islamic Religious Education (IRE)

iii) Hindu Religious Education (HRE)

OPTIONAL SUBJECTS

10 In optional subjects a student shall take one subject

iVisual Arts

i Performing Arts

1. i) Home Science
2. iv) Computer Science

NOTE

Physical Education (P.E.)shall be offered to all-learners as a compulsory to support the development of the Psychomotor Domain

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Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu is set to appear before the National Assembly House on June 7, to respond to various questions from Members of Parliament.

Machogu will address challenges in the Implementation of Junior Secondary School education relating to the provision of meals.

He will explain why books for grade 7 JSS learners in public schools have been delayed.

In addition, he will provide details on the provision of sanitary pads to school girls from the year 2017 to 2023.

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The CS will also elaborate on the construction of classrooms under the Competency Based Curriculum Phase II in 10 secondary schools in Bonchari Constituency.

Further, he will address nepotism, mismanagement and violations of Ministry of Education guidelines on the acquisition and disposal of school assets and recruitment of non-teaching and casual staff.

He will provide measures that will ensure that children with Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder obtain equal access to education.

On April 13, Machogu announced that contractors who took part in the construction of 10,000 CBC classrooms during retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime will be paid by June.

He said that the 1,907 contractors will receive their dues before the next financial year.

“Before the end of the financial year, it will be a priority area. Our contractors we are sorry because you all know the economy has been tough and we are trying to overcome challenges,” Machogu said.

In 2021, Uhuru directed the construction of 10,000 classrooms for CBC to the tune of Sh8 billion.

The classrooms were built at a cost of Sh788,000 from the initial estimate of Sh1.2 million.

Machogu said despite the country facing tough economic times, the ministry has prioritised the payment of contractors.

The 20,000 teachers recruited on contract terms in February will have to wait until January 2025 before they are given permanent and pensionable jobs, Teachers Service Commission (TSC) boss Nancy Macharia told the National Assembly’s Education Committee yesterday.

TSC plans to recruit 20,000 more teachers on contract in the financial year starting July to shore up junior secondary school (JSS) numbers, but the number will still fall short of what is needed. The recruitment will cost Sh4.7 billion.

Macharia explained that, if the commission changed the terms of employment to permanent and pensionable, it would not have enough resources to recruit more teachers needed in JSS.

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However, she added, teachers recruited to replace those leaving through natural attrition would be coming in on permanent and pensionable terms.

She was making submissions on revenue and expenditure estimates for the 2023-2024 financial year.

The CEO insisted that the teachers on contract are qualified and that the quality of teaching will not be compromised. In the 2023-2024 Budget Policy Statement, the TSC has been allocated Sh322 billion.

TSC has started recruiting teachers on contract in 2019, calling them trainees.

When recruiting permanent and pensionable teachers, they are usually given preference and scored higher than those who are not on the programme.

Interns in primary schools receive a ‘stipend’ of Sh15,000, while those in secondary schools receive Sh20,000.

Based on teachers who apply for jobs when they are advertised, there are over 300,000 unemployed teachers despite the shortage of staff in schools.

Ms Macharia admitted that about half of the teachers posted to JSS had not been paid, but attributed the delay to late reporting from the schools where they were posted, as they did not all report at the same time.

The TSC boss said the commission needs Sh2.2 billion to promote teachers who have been stagnating in the same grades for a long time.

There is no indication in the budget estimates of a new pay deal for teachers. Unions have called for a renegotiation of the non-monetary collective agreement they signed with the employer in 2021.

However, the commission has earmarked Sh6 billion for joint cadre promotions and annual salary increments. Commission chair Julius Melly asked TSC to come up with a clear formula for determining the number of teachers needed for JSS.

The ruling Kenya Kwanza administration had pledged to recruit 116,000 teachers within two financial years.

Melly also called for effective supervision of teachers to ensure that the government gets value for money.

In her submission, Macharia said TSC needed Sh300 million to fund its programmes and activities at the county and sub-county levels.

“TSC’s county and sub-county offices are very important in the implementation of Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development and the implementation and monitoring of performance contracts,” Macharia said.

“They play a major role in the timely resolution of pending disciplinary cases and the implementation of teaching standards,” she added.

According to TSC submissions, a Sh2.1 billion request to fund the Professional Teacher Development programme was submitted but not considered.

When the programme was introduced, teachers were supposed to pay for the training, but there has been a clamour from the unions for the TSC to foot the bill. Ms Macharia told MPs that the commission had no pending bills, no stalled projects and had not budgeted for any new projects.

Staff working under the Human Resource Management and Development directorate at the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will now be required to work day and night and over the weekends without monetary compensation.

In an internal memo dated May 5,2023 signed by the HRMD Director Dr. Julius Olayo and copied to the Commission Secretary Dr. Nancy Macharia and Director

Administration Services, all the staff working under the directorate have been instructed to choose the preferred shifts, and have the data and preference compiled and submitted by their respective Unit Heads in a new work arrangement introduced on May 8,2023.

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“In an effort to undertake and timely complete priority assignment arising out of the recent recruitment of teachers, deployment of primary school teachers to JSS and pending 2022 exists among others during this payroll month, all officers are called upon to adopt the following work arrangement…during the night shift, tea and snacks will be provided,” reads the memo in part.

According to the memo, there will be a shift arrangement of day and night effective May 8,2023 until further notice during the weekdays. The day shift will start from 6:00 a.m in the morning to 6:00 p.m in the evening while the night shift will run from 7:00 p.m to 6:00 a.m.

For weekends, the work arrangements commenced on May 6,2023; with the working hours running from 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

“All officers working under the day shift arrangement will also report for duty either on a Saturday or Sunday,” adds the memo.

However, there will be no monetary value incentives with officers being only awarded between one to two days off duty days depending on the shift option. For day shift of 5 working days an officer will be allowed one day off duty, while night shift of 5 days will be allowed a two day off duty; with weekends being allowed only one day off duty.

However, the Commission has instructed that the off das will be taken at later dates after completion of the tasks, with Divisional Supervisors and Unit Heads being instructed to ensure that the tasks involving processing of the 2022 exits are cleared by May 31,2023.

“The respective Divisional Supervisors and Unit Heads have been assigned specific targets which must be attained before the closure of payroll and will be accountable on the same at the end of the task. This work arrangement is binding to all,” directed Dr. Olayo in the memo.

The working arrangements are coming at a time when the Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers are decrying lack of salary payments since January, with a number of its field officers in particular Sub-County Directors and Curriculum Support Officers(CSOs) working under a rigid work environment including being assigned duties with no facilitation and further working on weekends.

Early this month, the Commission noted that it had already processed 50 per cent of the salaries set to be paid to the newly employed 35,550 JSS teachers shifting the blame on the delayed reporting by some of the teachers to their respective stations.

The Commission advised teachers to confirm the payments with their respective banks, promising to effect all salaries this May.