Shortage of teachers has been reported in some institutions, causing a cloud of confusion in the first week of Junior Secondary School (JSS) education in public schools.
Moreover, Nyanza and Western regions have attained over fifty percent of enrolment of children in JSS, however, just like in other parts of the country, the students remain untaught.
Schools countrywide are still in the process of admitting and registering students in the nemis systems. However, those already admitted are yet to start learning as they are waiting for the arrival of teachers.
Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) officials have decried the exceedingly long wait for teachers.
“Right now, they are looking very smart in their uniforms they are very happy, but if you ask them what they have learned they will tell you it is nothing,” says David Obuon, Exec Sec, KNUT, Kisumu.
As such Education officers in the region, while acknowledging the delay in deployment of teachers, have urged those in the schools to step in as they wait for the arrival of more teachers.
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“I request the teachers to continue going to class and teaching as we wait for further direction, for those children still at home, I request that you report as fast as possible,” Nelson Sifuna, a director of education in Western stated.
Likewise, KNUT officials have called for urgent action to solve the shortage of teachers in schools.
In response, the ministry of education officials from the region has said the wait for teachers won’t be exceedingly long.
“We want to ask TSC to deploy the teachers as early as yesterday so that these learners can have an experience of learning in junior secondary,” Obuon said.
According to Sifuna, the deployment process is underway, and the list of teachers approved will be taken to the regions, where they will then be taken to the counties for posting.
Nonetheless, in the same region, a section of private schools, although well equipped, are looking at small numbers of students enrolled as parents flock to public schools for the free education