The government is ready for transition of the first cohort of Grade 9 learners under the CBC curriculum, Education PS Belio Kipsang has said.
He said the ministry has already printed 9.9 million textbooks for the Grade 9.
The books have already been distributed to schools.
“I’m told 85 per cent of the schools have received their books.Some schools did not have teachers to receive the books. But between today, tomorrow and over the weekend they will all have their books in readiness for learning,” Kipsang said.
The PS said more than 13,200 of the required 16,000 Grade 9 classrooms have already been built.
“We have been engaging partners and checking around to ensure we are adequately prepared,” he said.
He spoke in Mombasa where he was accompanied by six county education directors from the Coast.
Kipsang said the ministry has built 10,100 classrooms while the National Government Constituency Development Fund has built 3,100 classrooms.
He said 2,800 classrooms are at various levels of construction, with the ministry doing 900 while the NG-CDF has about 1,900 classrooms on course for completion.
“Within the next four or five days we should have completed our part as the ministry and all the classrooms we were to deliver will be delivered,” Kipsang said.
For the NG-CDF, the 1,900 will take a bit longer to complete because of the various approvals they are subjected to before any work is done.
Kipsang said the Teachers Service Commission has already recruited another 20,000 intern teachers for Junior Secondary School after the 46,000 intern teachers were absorbed to permanent and pensionable terms.
“Another 10,000 teachers had been taken in. So, as we speak today there are more than 80,000 teachers in our junior schools to take care of our Grade 9 learners,” he said.
Junior schools across the country require 140,000 teachers. He said schools have also assured the ministry they are ready to handle the Grade 9 learners starting Monday.
“They have assured me that they have put in place measures to handle any situation which may arise. Some have gone an extra mile to ensure the learners have a comfortable place to learn,” the PS said.
He said new teachers have also reported to their various stations.
“We continue to engage with each other to ensure there is smooth settlement of the learners come Monday,” Kipsang said.
He said the 348 boarding whose boarding facilities were suspended will not be allowed to open the boarding sections until an assessment is conducted.
“Each of them was given a report to guide them on what to do to meet the standards. Most have done that and have requested our officers to go and inspect them, which we are doing,” Kipsang said.
“Those who will not be ready, we have already told parents that they seek alternative schools for their children. We gave them enough time – almost two months,” Kipsang said.
He said the ministry is not worried about boarding facilities. Kipsang said KCSE results for the 2024 cohort will be out within the next 10 days.
