Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has revealed that not all primary schools have qualified to host Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) which open on January 30.
Out of 31,200 primary schools listed on the Ministry’s website, more than 20,000 will welcome JSS learners. The schools that failed to meet the requirements, however, will now act as feeder schools.
“I am proud to announce that the number of primary schools which will be hosting JSS are now over 20,000...those which have not qualified are actually very few because our major criterion was based on the enrolment, the numbers that we have as they transition. And there are others few that will serve as feeder schools to those that will be offering JSS,” Mr Machogu said.
A feeder school as explained by the Ministry is a "primary school that lacks the infrastructural or enrolment capacity to house a JSS, and has to transfer the learners to a nearby JSS".
The guidelines indicate that in high density areas and urban informal settlements, primary schools with an enrolment of less than 45 learners in the transitioning class or those lacking the basic facilities to domicile a JSS will serve as feeder schools to other JSSs within a two kilometre proximity.
Additionally, in geographically expansive, low density and insecurity prone areas, as well as for learners with special needs and disability, the Ministry will implement affirmative action regardless of the enrolments in the transitioning class.
Mr Machogu was speaking at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) in Nairobi while presiding over the launch of the distribution of 17.9 million copies of JSS learners' books.
