Nairobi — Ministry of Education states that government has allocated Sh3.9 billion for construction of additional 15,021 classrooms for Junior Secondary School (JSS) by 2025 to accommodate the first grade 9 learners.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, said the World Bank will provide an additional Sh9billion towards building of 9,000 classrooms.
He said National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) will also give support to guarantee that the classrooms are ready for use by 2025.
"We are taking steps to ensure that our schools have the facilities they need so that staff members and students can work together in a supportive environment," he said.
The pioneer class of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) will in January 2024 join Grade 8.
Speaking during the Kenya National Union of Teachers 69th annual delegates conference in Nairobi, Machogu said plans are underway to onboard the provision of extra funds to schools as proposed by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
The presidential team had proposed that in addition to the capitation granted per learner, schools should get flat rate support. The flat rate payment is intended to give schools the money they need to carry out their regular operations.
Machogu also declared that, for terms 1, 2, and 3, respectively, the government had gone back to a 50:30:20 capitation disbursement mechanism.
"The Working Party also made recommendations for the review of the capitation amounts, and for the introduction of the Minimum Essential Package for schools with less than optimum enrollment. We are working to progressively implement these recommendations," Machogu said.
The CS applauded the government for employing 56,750teachers in its first year in office stating it is the highest number since independence.
He said the ministry is working steadily to make sure that the issue of teacher shortages is resolved in a way that is sustainable and the schools have the resources to meet the necessary ratios.
"Therefore, even as we address the challenge of teacher shortage overall, we are also keen on finding a long-term solution to the unique challenges faced in these parts of the country," he added.
The announcement comes amid worries expressed by several stakeholders regarding primary schools' inability to accommodate Junior Secondary School (JSS).
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) claimed that JSS should not have been domiciled in primary schools citing several issues that needed to be resolved before classes resumed in January 2024, including a shortage of staff, inadequate facilities, and low teacher motivation.
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Kuppet chairperson Omboko Milemba on November 23rd said it is not too late for the government to domicile JSS in secondary schools, which are better prepared to handle the learners.
"Moving JSS from secondary schools to primary institutions was a cardinal mistake. Despite the best efforts of JSS teachers in primary schools hosting them, it is safe to say that no effective learning is taking place in the institutions," he said.
