Secondary schools teachers chair wants Ministry to review Grade Nine rule

The newly elected Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Willy Kuria wants the Ministry of Education to review its decision on domiciling the Grade Nine in primary schools and have it transferred to high schools.

Kuria said currently, the majority of the primary schools do not have the facilities that are required by the learners for quality education.

He said this is likely to compromise the quality of education for the learners thus they should be admitted to high schools come next year.

Further, he said with the exit of the form four candidates there will be empty classrooms which can be occupied by the grade nine students.

“The government has committed to build new classrooms in primary schools to accommodate the learners but facilities such as laboratories, home science rooms and other facilities are not available,” remarked Kuria.

“The learners need quality education and the primary schools in their current status are not able to offer it,” he added.

Earlier in the year, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the decision to domicile Junior School in primary schools reflects the wishes of education stakeholders during consultations by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.

Kipsang also dismissed concerns that junior schools are not adequately prepared to host the Grade 9 learners saying there is no window to make any changes on that decision.

The KESSHA chair lamented that delayed disbursement of the money has been affecting operation in the learning institutions.

“The capitation is supposed to be Sh22,000 but we barely get the full amount and we also get the money late,” he said.

Further, Kuria also said the association will be pushing to have the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) be made an autonomous body saying this will help bring accountability. He pointed out that there have been perennial cases of national exam leakages and this puts a dent on the results.

He  said making KNEC an independent body, it will be easier to hold its Chief Executive Officer for any questions that may arise.

“When such cases come up, we don’t know who to hold accountable whether it’s the minister or the council,” he said.

“I am urging the stakeholders in the education sector to join us in pushing this agenda so that we can have an independent examining body and bring to an end these cases of exam incidences.”