Magoha gives two day ultimatum of building CBC classrooms

Education cabinet secretary George Magoha speaking during the launch of a CBC classroom on August 29 2022[Esther Jeruto, Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha has given schools in Kakamega an ultimatum of two days to finish construction of Competency Based Curriculum(CBC) classrooms to pave the way for Junior Secondary transition.

Magoha said Kakamega and Bungoma were among counties with the largest number of learners expected to transition and dragging the construction would hurt the programme.

"The constructions (in Kakamega) are reportedly at 93 per cent but I want them done by tomorrow (Sunday) because we had agreed with all the education stakeholders that the work be completed by today (Saturday)," he said.

"It is possible to complete the construction in that span because we need classrooms, our target is to have 10,000 classrooms and right now we are at 9,600."

He said Central Region was leading in preparedness for the new competency programme and had completed the construction of additional classrooms followed by North Eastern, Nyanza, Eastern then Kakamega.

The CS who visited Kakamega High school and Mukumu Girls school after meeting education stakeholders in the county said schools without labs had business offering junior secondary education.

He said learners were geared up for the programme and had done practical exams and were and had assessments enumerated by Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC).

"Grade Six learners are being assisted to choose schools by their parents and teachers. This grade of learners will be doing general continuous assessment tests (CAT) and when they reach year nine they can as well be guided on what to pursue," he said.

The CS commended private institutions stating most of them had complied with what the government directed them to do in line with meeting basic standards to transitioning to junior secondary.

"We are working well with the private school association and if you go to most of the private learning facilities majorly in Nairobi and Mombasa most of them converted their classrooms into junior secondary school and most of them have complied with our directive in terms of well equipped classrooms and laboratories," he said.

"There are some who are in the process of complying therefore are not in the public portal (of compliant schools). That should not worry parents, if you want your child to be enrolled in the public portal you can walk to the nearest compliant school."

He said that private schools are critical in making the transition a success because of the 20,000 learners expected to transition to junior secondary private schools will take between 3,000 and 4,000.

At Kakamega Hill School, a private school, the selection of Junior Secondary School process was ongoing, Lorna Kimutai said they were prepared for the transition.

"We are at 89 per cent ready and by the end of September we will be done. Currently we have a capacity of hosting 250 learners in the junior secondary section and have four streams to house 40 learners each," she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Wendy Tiany Applegate school, another private school, who said they are well prepared in terms of infrastructural stating as pioneer CBC schools they are ready to roll out the programme.

"We are well prepared to host JSS, we have constructed two classrooms and one lab as construction of other classrooms and labs are ongoing, our carrying capacity per classroom is 50 and we intend to have 150 learners in every class of junior secondary," said Tiany.