Magoha Issues Two-Day Ultimatum For CBC Classrooms Construction
The Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, has given Kakamega schools two days to prepare all classrooms for junior secondary students.
According to the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) education system, the sixth graders are anticipated to transition into junior secondary school early the following year.
Prof. Magoha remarked that Kakamega and Bungoma are among the counties with the biggest number of students projected to enroll in junior secondary school and that delaying the construction of classrooms and other facilities will significantly impact the program.
“I’ve been told that the majority of constructions in Kakamega are nearly complete, with some at 93 percent completion.
"I want them to be completed by the end of tomorrow (Sunday) since we had agreed with all education stakeholders that the work must be completed by today (Saturday).”
He stated, “The constructions can be completed within that timeframe. We require classrooms.
"Our goal is to construct 10,000 classrooms by the end of the program. Currently, we have 9,600.”
Magoha, speaking in Kakamega County on Saturday, stated that Central Kenya is the most equipped for CBC, with schools having finished the construction of new classrooms and other facilities, followed by North Eastern, Nyanza, Eastern, and finally Kakamega.
After meeting with local education stakeholders, the CS visited Kakamega School and Mukumu Girls and stated that schools without labs had no business giving junior secondary education.
According to him, students are prepared for the program, having already completed the practical examinations and evaluations outlined by the Kenya National Examination Council.
Parents and teachers are assisting Grade Six students with school selection. This group of students will take general continuous assessment tests (CAT), and when they reach ninth grade, they will also be advised on their future studies, Magoha explained.
The CS lauded private institutions, the majority of which, he added, have cooperated with government regulations pertaining to reaching elementary school transitional criteria.
“There are some who are in the process of complying and are therefore not in the public portal (of compliant schools).
"But that should not worry parents. If you want your child to be enrolled in the public portal, you can walk to the nearest compliant school.”
Private schools are crucial to the success of the transition, as between 3,000 and 4,000 of the 20,000 students slated to transition to junior secondary will attend them.
Lorna Kimutai, an official at the private Kakamega Hill School, stated that the institution is prepared for the shift.
Wendy Tiany, from Applegate School in Kakamega, stated that the students are transition-ready.
ALSO READ:
Tiany stated that the necessary infrastructure is in place for the process.
“We are well prepared to host junior secondary school. We have constructed two classrooms and one lab. Construction of more classrooms and labs is still going on. Our targeted capacity per classroom is 50 learners,” said Tiany.
Magoha Issues Two-Day Ultimatum For CBC Classrooms Construction
