KNUT, KUPPET Divided Over Key CBC Feature Ahead of Transition
There has been a disagreement between teachers affiliated with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and their colleagues from the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) on the appropriate place for junior secondary students to be hosted.
KNUT officials suggested that the junior secondary level should be hosted in the primary school setting in their presentation to the CBC task committee appointed to review the roll out syllabus.
Collins Oyuu, secretary general of the union, has observed that most children progressing up to Grade 7 are between the ages of 11 and 14, which is too young for them to continue their education in high school.
He further demanded that the name of the level be changed from Junior Secondary school to intermediary level.
“Junior Secondary be domiciled in Primary Schools and we shall refer to it as intermediate because questions are lingering on why we have senior coming in after Junior. We are saying, ‘Don’t refer to this as Junior Secondary School,’” stated Oyuu.
Yet, KUPPET administrators led by Secretary General Akelo Misori argued that the students were mature enough to make the transition.
Misori maintained that secondary schools were ready for the transition since they had previously built the necessary infrastructure and produced appropriate curricula.
“Junior Secondary is a secondary school curriculum and in that respect, it is best placed in the secondary school. It is also premised on the fact that secondary schools are already preparing to have them. Our primary schools don’t have the necessary competencies.
“Someone who is going to Grade 7 is a very old person. Personally I went to high school when I was 13 years old,” stated Misori.
Although the two groups disagreed on many issues, they did agree that schools needed more teachers and that the impending Grade 6 National Exams should be administered transparently.
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KEPSEA) exam is scheduled to take place over the course of three days, beginning on Monday, November 28, 2022, and concluding on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, according to the Ministry of Education.
In order to move on to junior secondary school in January of 2023, the grade six students will take an entry exam.
Professor Raphael Munavu’s task team will present its findings and recommendations to the president for approval and implementation after their work is done.
