Grade 9: Fix challenges for successful transition

Even as the government pushes forward with plans to transit Grade Eight students to Grad Nine in January, it is imperative that it gets its house in order to ensure this process is smooth, effective and fair for every student.

At the heart of the matter is the government’s responsibility to prepare for this shift in a way that prioritises the needs of students, teachers and schools.

If the students’ transition to Grade Nine —which happens to be a pivotal stage in the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum, where students are expected to decide on their career pathways — is mishandled, it could leave a generation of students struggling to access quality education, undermining efforts to improve literacy and skill development.

It is one thing to redesign a curriculum and it is another entirely to ensure that schools have the resources to implement it. Teachers need proper training, schools need updated teaching materials, and the facilities must be able to accommodate the changes in curriculum content and teaching methodologies.

The shift to CBC has seen an increase in the number of students moving to Junior Secondary School, and the numbers continue to rise as the programme progresses.

Many schools are already struggling to accommodate the growing number of students. Classrooms are overcrowded, teachers are stretched thin, and learning materials are in short supply.

While the government has consistently said it has so far built more than 11,000 classrooms for Grade Nine, representing about 45 percent of the 30,000 required, it has not given a roadmap on how the remaining 55 percent of the deficit would be completed within the remaining short period.

According to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, the government has spent Sh85.5 billion between the 2016/2017 and the 2024/2025 financial years funding the education system.

This is indeed a colossal amount of money that if well utilised and accounted for, should have far-reaching impact on the ground.

The challenges — ranging from inadequate infrastructure and teacher shortages to financial constraints and unclear assessment mechanisms — must be addressed if the government hopes to successfully navigate the transition to Grade Nine.