Education Ministry, TSC in a rush to prepare for learners in Junior Secondary (Grade 7)

Education Ministry, TSC prepare for learners in Junior Secondary (Grade 7)

Preparations are in top gear for learners who will be joining Junior Secondary School at grade 7.

There has been a beehive of activities in the Teachers Service Commission TSC and Ministry of Education.

The latter has come up with a Program to map out all primary schools in the country; where Junior Secondary Schools will be domiciled.

Junior Secondary Schools learners are expect in schools by 30th January, this year.

In order to establish the readiness of the primary schools to receive and admit the grade 7 learners the Ministry of Education has scheduled a countrywide assessment of all public and private primary institutions between 9th and 20th January 2023.

The assessment will adopt a rapid results initiative involving Education, Teachers Service Commission Secretariat as well as National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) in the Regions, Counties and Sub County levels.

The Teachers Service Commission is currently recruiting over 30,000 teachers to handle JSS learners.

Speaking during the release of 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams,Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia, Junior Secondary School (JSS) comprising Grade 7, Grade 8 and Grade 9, will be domiciled in the existing primary schools.

“30,550 new teacher recruits (9,000 on permanent and pensionable terms and 21,550 teacher interns) will be posted to handle the Junior Secondary School before the beginning of term 2023. Besides, we will deploy 21,550 teachers interns to assist in the handling of the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) pupils.” TSC CEO Dr Nancy Macharia said.

The Ministry of Education, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the TSC are jointly working on modalities of fast-tracking retooling teachers to ensure the country has sufficient numbers who are compliant with Competency Based Curriculum( CBC).

Priority will be given to those teachers who will be handling Grade 7 learners.

Plans have been underway to adequately equip the learning and teaching facilities through construction of more classrooms and laboratories for science subject in order to accommodate the increased enrolment.

President William Ruto has directed that an extra classroom and a laboratory be built across all primary schools to be used by the Junior Secondary School learners

“The construction of laboratories will be given priority within the next one year. Members of Parliament are asked to work towards providing support for the extra facilities. Meanwhile, primary schools neighboring secondary schools will share the laboratories and other facilities with junior secondary schools,” he said.

All the grade 6 learners will join JSS under the Government’s 100 percent transition policy.

The 100% transition policy in Kenya

The 100% transition policy in education
in Kenya is a policy that aims to ensure
that all students who complete primary
school transition to secondary school.

The policy was introduced in 2003, when the government of Kenya implemented free primary education (FPE).

It has had a positive impact with enrollment in secondary schools increasing significantly.

However, the policy has faced challenges,
including a shortage of secondary schools and a lack of resources to support the large influx of students transitioning to secondary school.