NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 20 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the allocation of Sh8 billion to support construction of 10,000 additional classrooms to support a double transition of an estimated 2.5 learners to secondary schools.
The move is aimed at ensuring a seamless transition for an estimated 1 million students set to join junior secondary school and 1.4 million Class 8 leavers set to join secondary schools.
The directive for additional funding is in anticipation for a double transition in 2023, when the last cohort of the 8-4-4 system transits to Form One and the CBC pioneers join Junior Secondary School (Grade 7, 8 and 9).
The Head of State, speaking during the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kirinyaga on Wednesday, directed the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and National Treasury to work jointly on a framework to enhance school infrastructure.
“To ensure we adequately prepare the nation for the next phase of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) which is the junior high school and to further facilitate the 100 percent transition of Primary to Secondary school. The Ministries of Education, Interior Coordination and Treasury should jointly create a framework for building of 10,000 classroom needed to provide additional learning space,” President Kenyatta ordered.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha had said junior secondary schools will be hosted in existing primary schools. He however said the ministry was working to address the lack of human resource and infrastructure which threatened to stall the transition.
A CBC taskforce reported presented in February indicated a shortfall of 1.4 million classroom slots in both junior secondary and secondary schools with available slots projected at 1,081,900.
“As a part of a caring government and one whose is keen to ensure that it does its duty to build the destiny of every student. We will continue enriching the curriculum to ensure our children sharpen their talent and maximize their opportunities,” President Kenyatta assured when he announced plans for additional funding.
He directed that the construction of additional classrooms is done by local contractors and that payments for work done are wired directly to the contractors from the Ministry of Education.
“The construction of this classrooms be undertaken by local contractors within the vicinity of each school as to provide further stimulus to local economy and the payment of the construction of the local classroom be remitted directly to the contractors in their local sub county,” President Kenyatta ordered.
The government admitted that the construction of the 10,000 classrooms will not fully address the infrastructure gap, urging Members of the National Assembly to prioritize construction of classrooms in their areas through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG CDF).
“In solidarity with our children prioritize the usage of CDF for the building of school infrastructure the timely program provides additional momentum to my administration prioritization that no child is left behind in the transition from primary to secondary school,” he appealed.
Inadequate infrastructure has been singled out as the greatest challenge in the roll out of CBC.
Schools with poor infrastructure, are overpopulated and ill-equipped, thereby making the success of a new education curriculum a mere dream.
Several head teachers and principals have previously lamented that they admitted more learners than their schools could handle, resulting in overstretched facilities.
Contention of the country’s readiness to roll out the new curriculum saw a petition filed in September challenging the move to replace the 8-4-4 education system.
Through Advocate Nelson Havi, the petitioner; lawyer Esther Awour Adero argued that the action by the Education Ministry to implement the new curriculum was unlawful and prejudicial to the future of the children of Kenya and ought to be halted.
The petitioner sought interim orders stopping CBC pending hearing and determination of the case, adding the move would prevent a further denial and violation and infringement of the rights of children to education and free and compulsory basic education by the government.
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