MPs Warn of Looming Crisis in Junior School Transition Due to Poor Planning.
Members of Parliament convened an emergency session to address the government’s inadequate preparations for junior schools ahead of the transition of the pioneer class of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to Grade 9 in January 2025.
The session highlighted pressing issues, including insufficient infrastructure and teacher shortages, that are likely to impede learners’ progress.
Key Challenges in Infrastructure and Staffing
During the debate, which followed an adjournment motion sponsored by Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, lawmakers expressed concern over the lack of essential facilities such as classrooms and laboratories.
They emphasized that the shortage of adequately trained teachers would further disadvantage students in public junior schools.
The MPs revealed that 32,469 classrooms and laboratories were required across 23,000 public primary schools to accommodate the 1.5 million learners transitioning to Grade 9.
However, with only three months remaining before the end of the year, they noted that most schools’ infrastructure remained in a deplorable state.
Lawmakers urged the government to urgently address these gaps to avoid compromising the quality of education.
The Importance of Laboratories for Practical Subjects
The MPs underscored the necessity of laboratories for teaching practical subjects in Grade 9, such as integrated science, pre-technical science, health education, agriculture, and home science.
They pointed out that without these facilities, learners would be deprived of essential skills required for the curriculum.
Mbui raised concerns about the readiness of teachers, questioning whether there were enough qualified personnel to handle specialized subjects like health education, given that the current teacher training system only focuses on two-subject combinations.
Proposed Solutions: Use of Contingency Funds
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera called on the government to utilize contingency funds to start constructing classrooms immediately, citing the looming crisis.
He proposed allocating a Sh21 billion conditional grant to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to build classrooms over the next three months.
Additionally, Nabwera emphasized the urgency of recruiting 20,000 teachers by October to ensure they are in place before the new school year begins in January.
Funding Shortfalls and Teacher Mismatch
Kabondo Kasipul MP Eva Obara noted that while the CDF and the Ministry of Education had made efforts to build some infrastructure, the funds received were insufficient to address the scale of the challenge.
She highlighted that teachers who lacked a background in science were being forced to teach the subject, raising concerns about their qualifications and the quality of education being delivered.
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Obara suggested a shift in the government’s approach, proposing that learners be placed in secondary schools where space would become available after the departure of Form Four students, who will sit for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.
Additional Concerns and the Way Forward
Bumula MP Jack Wamboka echoed similar sentiments, noting that secondary schools would have vacant classrooms once Form Four students left, yet junior learners faced a shortage of infrastructure in primary schools.
He observed that in his constituency, the construction of Grade 9 classrooms was less than five percent complete.
Moiben MP Phylis Bartoo added that there was a disconnect between policymakers, implementers, and the beneficiaries of the new education system.
She advocated for the employment of the 46,000 intern teachers currently available, with an emphasis on retooling them to meet the demands of the CBC.
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Bartoo warned that failure to act swiftly would compromise educational standards and affect students’ competitiveness in the global job market.
In conclusion, MPs called for immediate government intervention to resolve the infrastructure and staffing issues, ensuring that no learner is left behind as the country transitions to the CBC system.
MPs Warn of Looming Crisis in Junior School Transition Due to Poor Planning.
