Government to construct 15,000 classrooms for Grade 9 learners by 2025

Nairobi,

Monday, December 18, 2023

KNA by Joseph Ng’ang’a

The Government has taken pro-active steps to ensure that Junior Secondary Schools have the required infrastructure by 2025, when we will have the inaugural Grade 9 class in Junior Secondary School.

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu said that this Financial Year, Sh3.9 Billion has been earmarked for the construction of classrooms for Junior Secondary School.

“A further Sh9 Billion will be provided by the World Bank, to support the construction of 9,000 classrooms. This, together with support from the National Government Constituency Development Fund, will ensure that we will be ready with the required 15,021 classrooms for Grade 9 learners by 2025,” said Machogu.

Speaking on Monday at Lenana School during the announcement of Form One Placement results, Machogu urged all Principals and Boards of Management (BoM) to prudently use all the funds allocated to schools for their intended purposes.

“This strategic utilisation will not only propel us towards achieving a 100 percent transition but also contribute to the enhancement of the learning environment, ensuring the realisation of the fundamental right to education,” said Machogu.

The CS explained that the Ministry of Education is undergoing a paradigm shift in its education system that has seen the gradual phasing-out of the 8-4-4 system and phasing-in of the 2-6-3-3-3 system popularly known as CBC.

“The shift from the 8-4-4 system to the CBC system marks a significant step forward in our educational landscape. It reflects our commitment to fostering a well-rounded education that goes beyond examinations, placing greater emphasis on competencies, skills, and holistic development of learners. The new system whose implementation started in 2017 will see its first cohort join Grade 8 in Junior School in January 2024 and Grade 9 in 2025,” explained Machogu.

He said that in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, Grade 8 and Grade 9 of Junior School will be hosted in existing primary schools.

“It is to be noted that 93% of the submissions received by the Working Party from various stakeholders recommended that Junior School be hosted in existing primary schools. Only 5% of the submissions recommended the hosting of Junior School in existing secondary schools, while 2% of suggested new schools for Junior School. It was noted that Grade 7 and Grade 8 learners would experience psycho-social challenges in settling down and integrating with secondary school learners, who are relatively much older,” explained Machogu.

The CS said that the selection for Senior School will be based on three pathways that will take into consideration learners' abilities, interests, and career choices.

“The three pathways in Senior School will be Social Sciences, Arts and Sports, and Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),” he said.  

The CS explained that each pathway will offer a unique set of subjects and learning experiences that align with specific career paths.

“In this regard, the Senior School guidelines for placement will be ready by April 2024 and BOMs are expected to prepare for implementation of the CBC curriculum,” he said.

He continued… “As we move forward, we continue to work on the implementation of the various recommendations that the Working Party made, for the effective implementation of CBC. Already, a sessional paper and necessary draft legislation to anchor the recommendations of the Working Party report are currently at an advanced stage of preparation before submission to the Cabinet and Parliament.”

Machogu said that when he released the KCPE results three weeks ago, he took a nostalgic journey of the KCPE from its inception in 1985 to the final examination in 2023.

“The first Form One selection and placement exercise was presided over by the then Minister for Education, Oloo Aringo at Lenana School in January 1986. Today’s event at the same school therefore bears a historical significance as it marks the last placement of learners under the 8-4-4 system of education. This milestone signals a shift towards a more dynamic approach to student assessment and placement as we usher in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC),” said Machogu.

Courtesy; KNA