Ambiguity on new syllabus to dominate principals' meeting

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman Kahi Indimuli (left), accompanied by other officials, addresses journalists ahead of the 44th Kessha annual delegates conference in Mombasa. [Gideon Maundu, Standard]

Ambiguities in the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) at the junior secondary level must be resolved to facilitate seamless implementation, school heads have said.

The principals who are in Mombasa for a five-day conference, under the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Secondary (KESSHA), lamented that it has not been cleared whether junior secondary studies will be conducted in primary or secondary schools.

Over 7,500 principals also complained of under-funding with a report by Kessha revealing secondary schools across the country have employed at least six Boards of Management teachers.

The report shows BOM teachers gobble up to Sh12 million of school budgets making the provision of effective learning and teaching materials a challenge.

“There is also the nagging issue of shortage of teachers in secondary schools which has been worsened by the Government’s push for 100 per cent primary to secondary school transition. This issue must also be addressed urgently,” KESSHA chairman Kahi Indimuli said yesterday.

He added: “We cannot turn schools into employers, that is not our core mandate. Our work is to impart knowledge in students. The extra cost has affected learning in schools.”

KESSHA noted the Government has not also released capitation grants for several students because of the challenges related to implementation of National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).

“Most secondary schools have not received funding because of NEMIS which has become a big problem. This must be resolved as quickly as possible,” said Indimuli.

Under the CBC, pupils in Grade Four this year are expected to transit to junior secondary but teachers say the Government is yet develop curriculum to guide its implementation.

The Government rolled out the CBC this year and it is currently being implemented in Pre-Primary One and Pre-Primary Two (PP1 and PP2) and Grades 1, 2 and 3.

The KESSHA boss said the curricular should determine whether the junior secondary studies will be done at secondary or primary schools.

“The law also stipulates that junior secondary schools will have their principals meaning there will be two school heads in one institution,” Indimuli said.

“Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should make public the content of subjects to be studied at junior secondary schools for us to know whether it will be implemented at the secondary or primary levels,” he said.

“The KCID should make the content public for principals to be able to put in place an effective process to anchor the CBC in the junior secondary.”

Junior secondary

“We need to know how we will anchor the junior secondary. There will be extra classrooms at the primary schools given Standard Eight will not be there. The content will enable us understand whether secondary teachers will be required,” said Indimuli.

He was addressing the media in Mombasa ahead of the 44th KESSHA annual conference.

Meanwhile, KSSHA also opposed the proposal to lower the age of consent to 16 years terming it is “immoral” and unacceptable.

“If a girl cannot get a driving license or an ID until she is 18 years-old, why should one want the same girl to have sex at 16?” said Indimuli. 

Education CS George Magoha has said there will be no turning back in implementing the new system of education.