Governors oppose plan to have ECDEs run by primary heads
Council of Governors chairperson Anne Waiguru during a discussion on climate change during the COP28 in Dubai on December 6, 2023. Governors have protested the announcement that primary school heads will be in charge of ECDE centers starting January 2024.
What you need to know:
- Should the announcement by by Education CS Ezekiel Machogu be implemented, running of ECDE centres will be taken over by the national government.
- Kirinyaga County Anne Waiguru said the management of pre-primary schools remains an exclusive function of the county governments.
Governors have dismissed an announcement made by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu that beginning January 2024, primary school head teachers will be in charge of early childhood development and education (ECDE) centres.
Should the announcement be implemented, then the role of running the ECDE centres, which that has been held by the county governments since the start of devolution, will be taken over by the national government, a move that the county bosses strongly object to.
In a letter seen by the Nation dated December 28, 2023 sent to Mr Machogu, Council of Governors (CoG) Chairperson Anne Waiguru said the role of managing ECDEs is a preserve of the counties and no law or arrangement has been made officially to change the status quo.
Ms Waiguru, who is also the Kirinyaga County governor, said the council is not opposed to reforms in the educations sector, however, the “management of pre-primary schools remains an exclusive function of the county governments.”
Early childhood education
Earlier this year, the Presidential Working Party of Education Reforms (PWPER) proposed the repealing of the Early Childhood Education Act to bring early childhood education under the Basic Education Act. In its definition of “basic education”, PWPER said it begins at pre-primary and ends in senior school.
Among its raft of recommendations, PWPER said the Ministry of Education, CoG and Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should develop an inter-govermnmental agreement on hiring and remunerating pre-primary teachers. This, the task force said, would ensure harmonisation of pay for all pre-primary teachers and that TSC manages the payroll based on allocation from Parliament while counties hire pre-primary teachers.
Though aware of this recommendation, Ms Waiguru said its implementation should be strictly undertaken in accordance with the provisions of Article 187 of the Constitution that sets out the parameters for the transfer of functions and powers between the two levels of government.
So far, no such intergovernmental agreement has been entered into between the two levels of government.
Comprehensive school system
“We hold the position that until such an agreement is entered into with mutual agreement of the parties, the county governments will continue to fully manage pre-primary schools,” she said.
The letter comes barely a day after Mr Machogu, during an interview, said the new changes will take effect beginning in January, with pre-primary, primary and junior secondary, under the comprehensive school system, being managed by a head teacher.
“The comprehensive schools begin in January and head teachers will be in charge of pre-primary up to Grade 9,” he said.
This announcement has been widely welcomed by head teachers who have previously, through the leadership of the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (Kepsha) said the comprehensive school setup would offer a seamless transition from pre-primary to primary and junior school.
“Integration of different levels allows for a more holistic approach to education, addressing the cognitive, social and emotional development of learners throughout the years,” Johnson Nzioka, the Kepsha boss said.
