KUPPET Say it Was a Mistake to Have JSS Students Stay in Primary Schools

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) are now seeking for the reversal of the directive to domicile Grade 7 students in primary schools.

In a press conference held on Tuesday, March 7, the teachers’ union expressed their dissatisfaction in the conduct of JSS transition saying it was a mistake to have the learners remain in primary school.

KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori blamed the 49-member education review task force for ‘misleading’ the country, adding that it should be disbanded.

“KUPPET calls for disbandment of the CBC task force, notwithstanding their eminence in society, the party has contributed more confusion than solutions,” Misori stated.

Likewise, Misori cautioned that if action is not taken, the 1.2 million JSS pioneer student’s future is at stake.

According to the teachers’ union secretary general, it is not too late to take the learners back to secondary school.

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He also argued that secondary schools are better equipped to host the learners.

“It is common sense that building more classrooms in secondary schools which already have laboratories is more cost-effective than trying to create whole new infrastructure in primary schools,” Misori said.

Moreover, Misori explained that the proposal to reverse the decision by the task force should be treated as an urgent matter.

“If we are to return them to secondary schools which are more equipped than we need to do it before the end of holiday,” he said.

Similarly, KUPPET chairperson Omboko Milemba supported Misori’s sentiments saying primary schools are not equipped to host JSS.

“Those schools don’t have lab technicians so who will help the children during practicals. But secondary schools have all these staff,” he said.

As such, the teachers’ union is now calling on a crisis meeting to be attended by education stakeholders. However, Mr. Milemba clarified that the CBC task force will not be involved in the crisis meeting.

The KUPPET Chairman further explained that if the proposal to take Grade 7 back to secondary school is rejected, the union will engage its members on way forward.