Govt to Construct 15,021 JSS Classrooms by 2025 for Grade 9 Students
The government is planning to build 15,021 Junior Secondary School (JSS) classrooms by 2025 to accommodate the anticipated number of Grade 9 students.
Ezekiel Machogu, Cabinet Secretary for Education, announced on Tuesday that the government will contribute Sh3.9 billion to the project.
According to the CS, the World Bank will provide an additional Sh9 billion for the construction of 9,000 classrooms.
Legislators will construct more classes with funds from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
“We are taking steps to ensure that our schools have the necessary infrastructure, where our teachers and learners can effectively perform,” Machogu said in a statement.
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He spoke on the second day of the 69th annual delegates conference of the Kenya National Union of Teachers, which concludes on Wednesday.
In January, the first class of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will enter Grade 8.
Machogu’s remark comes as several stakeholders express concern over primary schools’ inability to accept Junior Secondary School (JSS).
The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) stated that it was incorrect to house the JSS in primary schools, noting that sufficient learning did not occur during the previous year.
Poor staffing, a lack of facilities, and low teacher enthusiasm are also among the issues that must be solved before schools reopen next year, according to the union.
Moving JSS from secondary to primary schools was a critical error accordig to Kuppet chairman Omboko Milemba. Despite the best efforts of JSS instructors in the primary schools that host them, he says no meaningful learning is taking place in the institutions.
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The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers spearheaded the plan to relocate JSS, claiming that primary schools lack the competence to support the junior school level.
Knut, on the other hand, has dismissed the notion as typical union politics and wants the JSS rollout to proceed as planned.
“With approximately 23,000 primary schools compared to a significantly lower number of 8,000 secondary schools, it is clear that the primary schools can ensure better access to education,” he stated.
Concerned about primary school teachers’ ability to handle JSS, the union stated that there are a significant number of qualified educators with diplomas, degrees, and postgraduate qualifications capable of handling JSS education.
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They advised Kuppet not to undermine the instructors’ ability to teach JSS, despite their extensive training and retooling.
Govt to Construct 15,021 JSS Classrooms by 2025 for Grade 9 Students
