Secondary school teachers have opposed the move by government to domicile junior secondary schools within primary schools.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) says its disappointed by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER).
Kuppet Secretary General Akelo Misori says that the working group decided to negate the essence of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) but only lacks the confidence to say as much.
“Kuppet is deeply disappointed by the recommendations made in the Interim Report of the PWPER,” Misori said in a statement.
On the very important question of a transition to Junior Secondary School (JSS), Misori says the working party created more problems than the one it sought to solve.
“Rather than pronounce itself on how the transition to JSS should be handled, it has falsely directed the Ministry of Education to “provide the necessary guidelines.”
“As a matter of fact, the Ministry had provided guidelines on this issue after its full consideration of the circumstances.
“The working party cannot make a recommendation and skirt the issue of how it is to be executed,” the union said.
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Junior secondary burden
Similarly, Akelo said maintaining Junior secondary in current primary schools beats the purpose of CBC.
Kuppet claims the country has reverted back to the 8-4-4 system but only lacks the honesty to state the obvious.
“It is for that purpose that the working group has declared the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) redundant,” Misori said.
Kuppet notes that Kenya will keep learners in primary schools longer than anywhere else in the world, further delaying their academic, social, and emotional development.
According to Kuppet, eight years under the 8-4-4 system was already too long, but now the working party has added a new class to primary school.
Misori has also said that the recommendation that an extra classroom and laboratory be built in every primary school is a half measure that will soon prove futile.
“A laboratory is not merely a building. Equipping them has been a challenge even for secondary schools, which are better funded.
“At the same time, the government had invested substantial resources in building classrooms and laboratories at the secondary level in anticipation of CBC –resources which will now lie unused,” he noted.