The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has refuted the claims made by the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) that Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) should be managed by secondary institutions, arguing that they should continue to be under primary schools.
While in Thika, Kiambu County, KNUT Central Region Secretary General Mathenge Wanjau castigated KUPPET for hiding its real intentions behind the proposal. He further stated that such a change could bring about chaos in the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
He further underscored the fact that learners are still young when they move to Junior Secondary and the primary school environment would be a better place to nurture them. According to him, in the current arrangement, teachers are more able to provide emotional and academic support to all the learners during the crucial transition period.
“Kids who have just moved to Junior Secondary are still children. Thus, they need the closest guidance and mentorship, which primary schools can best provide,” said Wanjau.
The KNUT official also invited education stakeholders to commit themselves to improving conditions in agencies and teacher preparedness in primary schools rather than changing the JSS structure. He said this would help in the smooth running of the CBC rollout.
His comment is in line with the debate that has been raging between two powerful teachers’ unions over the supervision of Junior Secondary Schools, which is a major change in the CBC system that replaced the 8-4-4 education model.
Although KUPPET has been advocating for Secondary School control over JSS so as to facilitate subject specialization, KNUT is adamant that the developmental needs of learners should be at the forefront of any decision-making process.
