Government Sets Guidelines for Placing Students in Grade 9.
In an attempt to calm parents’ growing concerns and rumors, some education stakeholders have called for the last grade of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to be moved to secondary institutions. However, the Ministry of Education has firmly guaranteed a smooth transition for students from Junior Secondary School (JSS) to Senior School.
This suggests that the students in the CBC pioneer class will complete their education at their current institutions when they advance to Grade 9 the following year.
Belio Kipsang, the principal secretary of basic education, allayed concerns on Wednesday, regarding junior schools’ ability to teach Grade 9 students.
Recognizing that the transition would not be simple, Kipsang revealed intentions to construct 16,000 classrooms to accommodate these pupils.
“Next year, when our children enter Grade 9, we are prepared. 16,000 new classrooms would soon be built, and Kipsang reiterated that Kenyans are not averse to a challenge.
During a stakeholder conference at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Kipsang said that the government will introduce twelve measures that would establish guidelines for pupils transferring from elementary to senior high school.
He recognized the concern parents had amidst the rigorous curriculum of Junior Secondary School.
He stated that the government will present a sessional paper that will look at the operating costs paid by students in order to ensure the correct delivery of the CBC.
Based on suggestions by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER), this document provides a policy framework for sustainable planning in education, training, and research.
Kipsang also reassured parents and children that the government is committed to completing the current JSS cycle and helping them make a smooth transition to senior high school.
The decision to retain junior school in primary institutions was made after consultation with education stakeholders by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms. Kipsang highlighted that 93% of Kenyans supported this choice.
However, the ministry’s stance has obstructed a number of stakeholders who advocated for the transfer of Grade 9 students to secondary schools.
The debate about moving Grade 9 pupils to a new facility has resurfaced in response to recent parent demands.
Silas Obuhatsa, the head of the National Parents Association, expressed concerns that the institutions’ presence in elementary schools would make the CBC’s implementation less effective.
He emphasized that the arrival of Grade One pupils and the finalist class necessitated the need for additional classrooms.
“Can the government build 15,000 classrooms this year and next year?” Obuhatsa asked how many classrooms would likely be required for the shift.
If secondary schools declined to accept Form One applicants the following year, he suggested, perhaps there would be sufficient space for the students.
In February, it was proposed by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) to split junior secondary education into two portions, with Grade 9 moving to high school. The idea aimed at resolving implementation challenges with JSS received mixed reactions from stakeholders.
“Time is still there to make amends,” said Akello Misori, secretary general of Kuppet. He pushed for relocating Grade 8 to senior school since he found it difficult in Grade 7, which is still held in primary school.
Government Sets Guidelines for Placing Students in Grade 9.
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