JSS Teachers Overworked and Understaffed: Forced into Primary Lessons — KUPPET
Some newly hired Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers have been forced to teach primary school classes by their station heads.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) affirms this.
Sam Opondo, executive secretary of the Siaya Branch, stated that it is against their job descriptions to require tutors to teach primary school classes.
He mentioned that in certain schools, Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers are obligated to instruct primary school classes and subjects for which they have not received formal training.
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In a number of institutions, according to KUPPET, the relationship between the institution’s chief and the JSS teachers is frosty; this has been attributed to the inferiority complex of non-graduate head teachers.
Under the 8-4-4 curriculum, the majority of newly recruited JSS teachers would have been assigned to teach in secondary schools.
A Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher who attended the Siaya County KUPPET Branch AGM on Saturday expressed frustration, stating, “Many of us are a frustrated lot. We highly suspect that the heads with P1 qualifications are suffering from an inferiority complex.”
Opondo emphasized the importance of professionalism and decorum among JSS colleagues while also calling on heads of institutions to exemplify professionalism, administrative tranquility, and order.
He conveyed to the heads that JSS teachers are not burdensome individuals but rather educators who require adequate facilitation and support to effectively deliver teaching and services.
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Since then, the Presidential Working Group on Education Reforms has proposed that Pre-Primary, Primary, and Junior school principals must be college graduates.
Opondo added that the junior high schools are presently understaffed and that the majority of teachers have to teach more than ten subjects per day.
As such, he argued that it is a violation of the JSS teachers’ rights to be compelled to teach additional subjects in primary school when they are already struggling to handle the enormous workload at JSS.
The KUPPET Siaya Branch emphasized that the majority of JSS institutions have extremely inadequate infrastructure.
Opondo stated that conducting practical lessons is virtually impossible for JSS teachers due to the lack of essential resources such as furniture, stationery, and laboratory equipment.
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Nonetheless, he continued, there is inadequate or no support for teachers who lead extracurricular activities.
Opondo expressed strong disapproval of certain schools providing JSS teachers with only Sh50 when they undertake official duties outside of the school premises.
He deemed this practice unacceptable and announced plans to visit JSS colleagues across the county, starting this week.
Under the condition of anonymity, a second JSS educator stated that he and his pupils had to walk more than three kilometers to and from the senior high school where they completed their practicals.
During this time, he must ensure everyone’s safety, a task he noted borders on persecution.
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In August 2023, Vivian, not her actual name, was assigned as an intern to teach a Junior Secondary School class in Bondo Subcounty. She had previously worked as a Board of Management teacher at a school in Alego Usonga Sub County.
Vivian shared her experience, highlighting that she currently teaches numerous subjects and often goes without lunch almost every day.
She compared the primary school environment, where Junior Secondary School (JSS) is situated, to a desert.
Robert Ouko, the chairman of KUPPET in Siaya County, urged all the organization’s members to approach his office whenever they encounter difficulties.
Ouko encouraged educators to seek guidance from their dedicated team in case they face professional challenges, emphasizing that Kuppet is a source of empowerment for them.
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JSS Teachers Overworked and Understaffed: Forced into Primary Lessons — KUPPET
