The Ministry of Education has already set up a criterion that would be relied on to identify and enroll all learners presently in Grade Six to Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) across the country in January 2023.
The intake process will purely be based on the student’s performance in the Curriculum-Based Competency education system, taking into account every learner’s academic potential, among others.
“The selection and admission of grade six students into junior secondary school will be based on merit in the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment [KPSEA], equity and choice of schools by the students under the guidance of their parents, teachers and institutional declared capacity,” Education Ministry says.
However, those with severe and multiple disabilities will depend on their readiness to move on with learning to the next level.
The learners’ academic performance will also be determined by the learner’s cumulative score in both school-based and national summative assessments, translating into 60 and 40 percent, respectively.
All in all, the selected learners would also be allowed to pick a school of their choice in cahoots with their respective parents and teachers.
“Parents who will enrol their children in private schools will have no alternative but to meet the cost of learning being charged by the private schools’ administration,” said the Education Ministry.
Complying with the ministry of education’s 100 percent transition policy, all learners will be enrolled in junior secondary school institutions.
According to a reliable source, arrangements that will support the selection and placement of the grade six learners have already been put in place.
“In order to avail an additional learning space, public secondary schools that are sharing their school compound with public primary schools will utilize the available classroom space in primary schools,” said the source.
The source added that the learner takes center stage in the learning process, with the teacher providing guidance and support.
The Competency-Based Curriculum [CBC] system of education will go a long way in equipping the learners with the ability to think, tackle problems, and discover new insights about the marvels of life and nature, with the teachers guiding and coaching the learners.
The ministry of education has identified 14 public and private primary schools from Busia County to host junior secondary school students.
Official list of earmarked primary schools
In Matayos sub-county, Satellite Academy, Busia Ebenezer Academy, Our Lady of Grace and Compassion have been identified.
In Nambale sub-county, Nambale Magnet school, St James Model Academy, St Benedict Education Centre, Pristine School Ltd and St Benedict have been earmarked.
In Teso North sub-county, the Education Ministry has tasked King David Preparatory Kolanya, Model Junior Academy and Angurai Deacon Academy to host the students.
Students joining schools in Samia sub-county will study in Clan Junior High school and Zigma Junior secondary school.
Earmarked junior secondary schools in Busia
On the other hand, 13 secondary schools will host junior secondary students in Busia County come January 2023.
In Bunyala Sub County, John Osogo secondary school, St Anne’s Bunyala Girls’ secondary school and St Cecilia Namenya Girls secondary school are set to be the hosts.
In Butula sub-county, Buhuyi secondary school, Bujumba Boys’ secondary school, Bujumba Girls’ Secondary, Bumutiru secondary school, Butula Girls’ secondary school and Lugulu AC secondary school have been set apart to host the said students.
In Nambale sub-county, Malanga Secondary school and St Thomas Aquinas Madende secondary school in Nambale Sub-county have been earmarked by Education Ministry for the task.
Our Lady of Mercy Girls secondary school and St Mary’s Amukura Girls’ secondary school have been set apart in Matayos and Teso South sub-counties, respectively.
A recent spot-check by The Scholar Media in a section of the above-mentioned learning institutions in Busia County has established that despite being identified by the ministry of education to host junior secondary school students in January 2023, there is inadequate infrastructure in the said learning institutions.
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There is, therefore, an urgent need on the part of the government through the Ministry of Education to construct additional infrastructure that will accommodate junior secondary school students.
Bunyala sub-county Quality Assurance and Standards Officer, James Angatia, says for the CBC system of education to realize its goal, there is an urgent need for the government, through the ministry of education, to construct additional infrastructure in all the twelve schools in Bunyala sub-county that will accommodate the junior secondary school students.
“Most of the learning institutions in Bunyala sub-county that the ministry of education has identified to host the junior secondary school students in January 2023 have inadequate infrastructure considering that the ministry of education has managed to put up only one classroom in each of the twelve secondary schools in Bunyala Sub County.
If the situation isn’t addressed with the required urgency, it will lead to overcrowding,” said Mr. Angatia.
He observed that the high student-teacher ratio would most likely lead to dismal academic performance.
The quality assurance and standards officer further confided to The Scholar Media that the national government, through the National Government Constituency Development Fund [NG-CDF] had chipped in and embarked on the construction of new classrooms in some of the secondary schools.
These include Musoma AC secondary school, St Michael Sisenye secondary school, Peter Habenga Okondo secondary school, and Raphael Wanjala Girls secondary school, among others.
He noted that this would go a long way in ensuring adequate learning space for the junior secondary students in the Budalangi constituency in January 2023.
“Though the ministry of education has put up new classrooms in some of the secondary schools it has identified to host junior secondary students in January 2023, there is still an urgent need to construct additional infrastructure that would accommodate the students,” said Angatia.
He lauded the Budalangi NG-CDF committee, under the patronage of area MP Raphael Wanjala, for allocating part of its CDF kitty to facilitate the construction of new infrastructure in both public primary and secondary schools in the constituency.
“Apart from the inadequate classrooms the ministry of education has put up, Budalangi NG-CDF committee has played a leading role in constructing new classrooms in some secondary and primary schools in Bunyala Sub County.
This would go a long way in ensuring the new CBC education system’s success.
The principal of Peter Habenga Okondo secondary school in Budalangi, Busia County, Mr Benjamin Nawiri, says Budalangi NG-CDF recently constructed some infrastructure in his school.
It has six classrooms, 12 flush toilets, a board room, and an administration block, and the principal says it will offload the large number of junior secondary school students.
Mr. Nawiri says CBC is not bad, and parents have positively embraced the new education system.
The only bone of contention revolves around cost.
The government should consider setting up boards of management in respective schools to handle the cost factor.
He says age is also a big challenge because teachers have not been trained to handle mature students.
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