Yesterday, October 5, was the World Teachers’ Day marked worldwide to honour our teachers for their selfless service to humanity. This year’s theme is recognising and appreciating teachers’ voices and working towards a new social contract for education.
As we honour our teachers, the biggest conversation in the education circles today is the Grade Nine transition slated for January 2025. With the approach government has taken to retain Grade Nine in primary schools, experts are warning of chaos and confusion.
The Ministry of Education argues that the 1.3 million Grade Eight learners set to transition to Grade Nine in January will remain in primary schools in conformity with the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms. However, has the voice of the teachers been sought on this matter? Has the ministry analysed why, in the first place, President William Ruto directed that the then Grade Seven be retained in primary schools two years ago? Well, the President was averting another crisis because the secondary schools then did not have space for Grade Seven students.
Two years down the road and the nation is facing another dilemma. In three months’ time, the 1.3 million learners will transit to Grade Nine yet the government is racing against time to get the required infrastructure in place such as classrooms and laboratories before January. Truth be said, this is a tall order. The same way President Ruto was honest with the nation two years ago when he announced that the then Grade Seven CBC learners will remain in primary schools, he should move swiftly to remove the national anxiety as far as the Grade 9 roll-out is concerned.
Since there will be no Form One admissions in January next year, why can’t the government move Grade Nine pupils to secondary schools to take up the facilities that will otherwise remain unused? We all know that the pioneer JSS has had myriad teething problems such as inadequate facilities including classrooms and an acute shortage of teachers. Why would the government send someone’s child to Grade Nine where there will only be two teachers specialised in only one or two subjects, yet there are teachers specialised in all subjects in secondary schools?
It is encouraging to report that secondary school principals are ready to offer a solution to this impending problem. They recently said that, from January, they will have vacant classrooms they could use to host Grade Nine learners. Kenya Secondary School Heads Association national chairman Willy Kuria, during the association’s last national conference for principals, confirmed that their institutions are ready to host Grade Nine because they have adequate facilities and trained teachers that the government can tap.
As we celebrate teachers, the question that keeps lingering is this: are the voices from our tutors being heard? Teachers are central players in curriculum implementation. No nation can succeed in educating its children effectively if teachers’ voices are not taken seriously. They are the ones who directly implement the curriculum in the classroom, utilising their instructional skills to deliver lessons, facilitate discussions and assess student progress. Their voice is paramount in enhancing effective CBC reforms.
Source link : https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/move-grade-nine-to-secondary-schools-to-honour-teachers-4787136
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Publish date : 2024-10-05 21:00:00
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