Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) has confirmed that private schools will fully support the government on the implementation of junior secondary schools and that the total support will be effected in private schools come January.

KPSA has committed to doing everything within its disposal to meet the 5,000 classes target promised to the government before the transition to junior secondary schools.

KPSA chairman Charles Ochome told the press that the private sector has put up 2,500 classes. He further promised to reach the targeted 5,000 classrooms before the end of the year 2022.

‘‘We are here to highlight our schools’ preparedness towards the commitment we made to the government of 5,000 classrooms. The Cabinet Secretary has toured some of them and currently he is in the Lake Region,’’ said Ochome.

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Ochome however noted that the association will certify only the private schools that will meet the bare minimum requirements.

‘‘Government is inspecting schools and with the guidelines that meet the standards for holding the JS they will be given a nod. This means that some of the schools will hold two or three classrooms for Junior Secondary,’’ he said.

He further urged private school directors to put up more classrooms in order to meet the demands of learners in January transition.

‘‘Over one million students are preparing for transition and we are expected to put up more infrastructure in order to supplement the government effort. We urge all our directors to invest more in classrooms so that we don’t experience a surge in student intake,’’ he said.

‘‘We will be having the KPSA Annual Directors Conference in Mombasa for three days starting 4-6 July, 2022 to show our commitment to our preparedness over Junior Secondary. The Cabinet Secretary will be in attendance to engage private school investors further. CBC is here to stay,’’ he said.

Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has encouraged private schools to develop JSSs as he also assured them of transparency in the selection process.

On Monday, the CS visited Moi Education Centre to inspect the infrastructure put in place in readiness for the transition.

The CS allayed fears that private schools are not ready to host the pioneer batch of Grade Seven as boarders.

“Parents should not panic over the Grade Seven students since both the government and private schools will accommodate all the students. With 10,000 classes from public and another 5,000 from the private schools we will manage the transition,” said Magoha.

He urged parents to retain their learners at their centres, adding there will be a smooth transition.

“It would be very important for the parents who already have their children in private schools to retain them in Junior Secondary facilities that are established within those schools so that the cut-throat competition that comes after standard eight be postponed to year 10,’’ he said.

Moi Education Centre Principal Eunice Muthusi said they are way ahead of preparation for transition with 12 equipped laboratories, 30 classrooms, a music auditorium and a stadium.

KPSA has accused senior education officials of making ‘knee-jerk’ solutions to the crisis in schools, citing the push to restore the cane as a disciplinary measure.

Speaking after Cabinet secretaries George Magoha (Education) and Fred Matiang’i (Interior) urged the return of corporal punishment in efforts to restore discipline in learning institutions, private schools say the solution lies with the Ministry of Education.

They say officials need to decongest crowded public schools as a first step to easing the pressure on the institutions, which they say could help avert and contain unrest.

They also called for a national conversation on the emerging issues attributed to student conduct, as opposed to pushing for the return of the cane.

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They spoke as stakeholders in the education sector continued to give mixed reactions to calls by Prof Magoha and Dr Matiang’i to reintroduce corporal punishment in schools.

The two, speaking in Kisii on Monday, said the cane would be one way of restoring discipline and order in schools, citing themselves as good examples of the value of caning children.

They also called for a national conversation on parenting, noting that parents have failed to instil discipline in their children, hiding behind a human-rights argument.

“We cannot afford to have students running amok in schools unchecked. We cannot afford to have thugs in schools in the name of human rights,” Prof Magoha had said.

Dr Matiang’i said that the human-rights argument has been hyped at the expense of children’s future when it comes to discipline.

But according to Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), schools are overcrowded and available resources are strained, resulting in infrastructural and administrative problems that are fueling chaos in schools.

Mr Charles Ochome, the new national chairman of KPSA, an umbrella body for private education institutions, including pre-primary, primary, secondary, and teacher-training institutions, said schools are so congested that “some look like colleges with departmental heads with over 2,000 students.”

“This situation is creating pressure and that is why the government needs to decongest and place these children in private schools where there are spaces,” said Mr Ochome, who sits on the boards of some schools.

Most public schools are characterised by high student populations, affecting the teacher-to student-ratio and stretching available resources.

Mr Ochome suggested that private schools be considered for capitation to help in managing the affairs of students.

He also called on parents to guide their children well, especially during school holidays.

“This madness of burning schools is a sad affair. We were taught not to burn houses but these ones are burning down dormitories, meaning some parenting was not done right,” said Mr Ochome, who is also the director of Golden Elites schools.

He called for a thorough conversation on solutions to the unrest, saying caning might not be the silver bullet to deal with the tragedies and student behaviour.

“I am not opposing caning in schools, but we need to ask why it was banned and that is why we must have public participation bringing together all stakeholders to weigh in on how it can be implemented,” said Mr Ochome.