Primary school heads ask state to build more classes, labs for CBC

Primary school headteachers on Monday asked the government to address issues of infrastructure for the Junior Schools.

In the past regime of President Uhuru Kenyata, the government undertook to build 10,000 new classrooms for Competency Based Curriculum.

However, the classrooms were built in secondary schools.

In August, President William Ruto received and adopted the report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms that recommends that JSS should be domiciled in primary schools.

This means that the primary school heads are in charge of the Pre-Primary (PPI and PP2), Primary School (Grades 1-6) and Junior School (Grades 7-9).

On Monday, the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (Kepsha) national chairperson, Johnson Nzioka, said they are still facing problems with infrastructure within their schools.

“Some of the issues that need to be addressed are the infrastructural gaps. We are appealing to the government to do that because some schools do not have laboratories,” Nzioka said.

“We are also expecting more classrooms as we head to Grade 9. For Grade 8, we have classrooms that were being used by the outgoing Class 8 candidates, but after next year, we will need more classrooms for Grade 9,” said Nzioka

Last week, the last cohort of Kenya Certificate for Primary Education Examinations candidates sat their final examination, as the government phases out the 8-4-4 education system.

So far, implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum, which has the 2-6-6-3 system, is taking root and its first cohort enters Grade 8 next year.

Nzioka said as headteachers they have wholeheartedly embraced and accepted the CBC rollout and its implementation.

“I want to assure you that CBC has taken root. We are now in Grade 7 heading to Grade 8 and moving on seamlessly. We have closed the window on 8-4-4,” said Nzioka.

He added, “We are happy that we are gaining ground on the implementation of CBC and we are going on to give it our best to ensure it takes roots and learners get to benefit.”

Nzioka spoke on Monday on the sidelines of this year’s Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association  annual general conference at Sheikh Zayed Hall in Mombasa.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu is on Wednesday expected to open the 20th Kepsha annual conference.

“During this one week, we have invited several key speakers including the Education CS Ezekiel Machogu. Key issues we want to be addressed include the quality of our education, teachers’ recruitment, financing of the free primary education and Junior Schools and general infrastructure of the schools,” said Nzioka.

The theme of this year’s conference is, “Rethinking education management within a comprehensive school framework: Inspiring innovation for a sustainable impact in the present and future decades.

The Kepsha chairman said the theme underscores the importance of innovation in primary education delivery and its management within the comprehensive school set-up

“It encapsulates the essence of Kepsha’s collective mission to enhance the quality of primary education and to drive positive change in our schools,” he said.

Nzioka said education stakeholders need to unite to resolve the current challenges within the sector.

“The goal is to collaboratively seek solutions that will reshape education, making it more adaptable to the evolving needs of the society in the present and future,” he said.

During the meeting, the school heads will also launch Kepsha’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, which will reflect on their collective wisdom, experience, and expertise gathered over the years.

In the strategic plan, Kepsha aims to adapt to changing educational paradigms, foster inclusivity, and ensure the well-being of its members and learners.

“It is our commitment to shape the future of education management, embrace innovation, and foster sustainable impact on the lives of the learners,” Nzioka said.