KISUMU, Kenya, Oct 15 – The national government has been urged to ensure uniform development of infrastructure in primary schools for intake of grade 9 students next year.
The Secretary General of Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Akelo Misori says the acceleration of infrastructure construction in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) should be heightened in an effort not to cripple the opening of schools for the grade 9 learners.
Misori says they lost the fight to have JSS in secondary schools and will now support the government to ensure proper infrastructure is put in place for the learners.
“We know very well that government efforts to ensure that the schools are still in primary school may not now be challenged,” he said.
He says the support from the World Bank for the construction of JSS infrastructure in primary schools now seals the deal.
He therefore asked the government not to leave any primary school, which will be hosting JSS behind in terms of construction of classes.
“We don’t want our learners to encounter challenges when schools re-open next year, that is why we are urging the government to put uniform infrastructure in JSS,” he said.
Speaking in Kisumu during the annual general meeting of Kisumu branch Union, Misori says with the funding from World Bank, the government should now not give excuses for inadequate infrastructure.
“We need labs too in these schools, because this is going to lay the proper foundation for senior secondary schools,” he said.
The Secretary General further lauded the government for starting the process to confirm JSS teachers into permanent and pensionable terms.
He says KUPPET went on strike, for among other things, the failure by the Ministry of Education to absorb JSS teachers.
“We stood alone in that strike and I am happy that the government has started to implement what they agreed on, that made us call off the strike,” he said.
