Head teachers of primary schools are pushing for their official appointment as principals of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) that follow the Competency-Based Curriculum by the National government. Although they have taken on the job of principals for pupils transferring to Grade 7 during the year, they have not yet received confirmation in this post.
Johnson Nzioka, the national head of the Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (Kepsha), emphasized the significance of their official appointment as junior secondary school principals during the official beginning of the association’s 20th annual delegates conference in Sheikh Zayed Hall, Mombasa.
Nzioka stated, “Our request to the Cabinet Secretary (Education) is just one: to have the current primary school headteachers confirmed as principals of junior school. Considering that we have served in this position through the interim transition period and have therefore amassed the necessary expertise to steer the full transition to a Comprehensive School, from stand-alone pre-primary, primary, and Junior secondary schools.”
Prof. Raphael Munavu’s Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms had suggested a comprehensive school system in which Pre-Primary through Grade 9 would be overseen by a single institution with a head and two deputies.
The junior secondary school (grades 7, 8, and 9) integration into elementary schools was another suggestion made by the task team.
According to Nzioka, a comprehensive school system provides a smooth transition from pre-primary to primary and junior secondary education, enhancing the caliber of the educational process and facilitating an easy academic shift.
He underlined that uniform leadership may ensure alignment in curriculum programs, instructional approaches, and school policies by fostering consistent administration and coordination across all educational levels.
Long-term cost reductions and more effective resource allocation could arise from such an approach, which could also encourage the sharing of workers, facilities, and educational materials.
Nzioka also emphasized the potential advantages of increased cooperation between educators at different levels of education, as it would facilitate the sharing of best practices and group efforts toward shared learning goals.
