Education stakeholders want the government to convene crisis talks to iron out challenges facing Junior Secondary Schools.
The meeting, they propose, should also take stock of the JSS roll-out after it emerged that some parents are keen to have their children avoid it by bribing headteachers to allow their Grade 7 children to join Standard Eight and eventually sit this year’s KCPE exam.
However, the Ministry of Education has ordered an investigation into the scandal that involves falsifying student records, including a unique personal identifier to eliminate the tracing of progress in school and a birth certificate that is a prerequisite for registration.
These fake records are to facilitate the student being presented to a new school as a transferring Standard Eight candidate.
Registration for the 2023 KCPE and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams opened on February 1 and closes on March 30.
Among the requirements for registering as a candidate are a birth certificate (because of the order of the names), Unique Personal identifiers (UPI), and a registration fee.
National Parents Association chairperson Silas Obuhatsa and former Kenya National Union of Teachers secretary-general Wilson Sossion say the revelation is a ticking time bomb that will affect the future of the learners.
“The chickens are coming home to roost. I spoke the truth about CBC and I paid the price. That is why I was hounded out of Knut. But I have been vindicated,” said Mr Sossion.
He urged Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to quickly call for a crisis stakeholders meeting with all education players led by unions, parents, sponsors, owners of private schools and teacher’s associations to iron out the teething challenges.
“There are many issues surrounding this matter, including the distance to schools. Remember some schools were stopped from running JSS and the learners were moved to other schools. Maybe the parents are finding it very difficult in searching for alternative schools hosting JSS that are closer to their homes. So here’s a school that is registering the candidates for KCPE which is nearby, a parent will opt for it rather than JSS,” said Mr Obuhatsa.
In the Ministry of Education guidelines, primary schools with an enrolment of fewer than 45 learners or those lacking the basic facilities are currently serving as feeder schools to other JSSs within a two kilometres proximity.
“In geographically expansive, low density and insecurity prone areas, as well as for learners with special needs and disability, the government will implement affirmative action regardless of the enrolments,” read a circular by the Ministry of Education.
A feeder school refers to a primary school that lacks the enrolment or infrastructural capacity to domicile a JSS.
The educationist said the ministry probe should move fast to establish reasons why parents are opting for the 8-4-4 system instead of JSS.
“You remember in the past there have been many complaints on the cost implication of CBC and so a parent is counting the cost of taking a child from Grade 7 to 9 then 10 to 12 might be higher than taking a child through KCPE and KCSE (8-4-4). But I warn parents against dodging JSS for 8-4-4, these are two distinct curricula, let’s not confuse our children,” he said.
A Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) official, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said the lobby was also considering the push to have the crisis meetings.
Meanwhile, the ministry has reshuffled its regional and county directors of education in a bid to boost the sector as it also seeks a report on JSS roll-out and Form One enrolment to ensure a 100 per cent transition.
Coast regional education coordinator Adan Roble, who was barely two years old in the port city, was transferred to North Eastern.
Others affected by the transfers include Khalif Sheikh Isaak (Tana River), Khalif Hirey (Kilifi), Victoria Mulili (Taita Taveta), and Martin Cheruiyot (Kwale).
Mr Lucas Chebet, who was the Trans Nzoia county director of education, will take over from Mr Roble.
“We have a big reshuffle; four county directors of education have been moved out of the Coast region plus the regional boss Mr Roble. New people taking over this week include the county director of Tana River, Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties,” revealed a source at the Ministry of Education.
