Governors Oppose Machogu’s Plan to Transfer ECDE Centers to Primary School Head Teachers
Governors have rejected Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu‘s statement that primary school head will be in charge of early childhood development and education (ECDE) centers beginning in January 2024.
According to Machogu, the national government will take over the management of ECDE centers, a move that governors have strongly opposed. The ECDE responsibility has been under the jurisdiction of county governments since the initiation of devolution.
In a letter dated December 28, 2023, addressed to Mr. Machogu and seen by Teachers Updates, Anne Waiguru, Chairperson of the Council of Governors (CoC), asserted that the management of ECDEs is constitutionally designated to the counties.
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According to Waiguru, no official law or arrangement has been established to alter this existing arrangement.
Ms Waiguru, who is also the governor of Kirinyaga County, stated that the council is not opposed to educational reforms, but that “management of pre-primary schools remains an exclusive function of county governments.”
The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) suggested removing the Early Childhood Education Act earlier this year in order to incorporate early childhood education into the Basic Education Act.
PWPER defines “basic education” as beginning in pre-primary and ending in senior high school. PWPER recommended that the Ministry of Education, the Council of Governments (CoG), and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) form an inter-governmental agreement on employing and remunerating pre-primary teachers.
The task force stated that this would ensure harmonization of pay for all pre-primary teachers and that the TSC controls the payroll based on Parliamentary allocations while counties hire pre-primary instructors.
Despite being aware of this advice, Ms Waiguru stated that its implementation must be carried out in strict line with the provisions of Article 187 of the Constitution, which establishes the criteria for the transfer of responsibilities and powers between the two tiers of government.
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So far, no such intergovernmental agreement between the two levels of government has been reached.
Comprehensive educational 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 went on to say.
The letter comes just a day after Mr Machogu stated in an interview that the new reforms will go into force in January, with pre-primary, primary, and junior secondary schools being administered by a head teacher under the comprehensive school system.
Machogu added that the comprehensive schools will commence in January, with head teachers overseeing pre-primary up to Grade 9.
This news has been largely welcomed by head teachers, who earlier stated, through the leadership of the Kenya Primary Schools Head Teachers Association (Kepsha), that the comprehensive school setup will provide a smooth transition from pre-primary to primary and junior school.
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Nzioka stated that the integration of different levels allows for a more holistic approach to education, addressing the cognitive, social, and emotional development of learners throughout the years.
Governors Oppose Machogu’s Plan to Transfer ECDE Centers to Primary School Head Teachers
