A storm is gathering in Kenya’s education sector as teachers under the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) pile pressure on the government to grant Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) complete autonomy from primary institutions.
During a heated press briefing in Nairobi on Saturday, union officials and JSS educators declared that the current model, where Grades 7 to 9 remain hosted in primary schools, has become chaotic and unworkable. They accused the government of dragging its feet on reforms, warning that the Competency-Based Education (CBE) rollout could collapse if urgent changes are not made.
“Junior Secondary needs its own space and management. Only then will teachers and learners perform effectively,” one educator told journalists during peaceful protests.
Teachers highlighted glaring administrative bottlenecks, citing confusion in timetabling, disrupted sports programs, and mismanaged co-curricular activities. They argued that the academic and developmental needs of adolescents in JSS cannot be met under primary school systems designed for much younger learners.
Workload has emerged as another flashpoint. Some JSS teachers reported being forced to handle as many as 45 lessons per week, nearly double the teaching load of their primary school colleagues. The situation, they said, has been worsened by the fact that they remain under the supervision of primary school heads, a move they described as “demeaning and impractical.”
Union leaders warned that unless the government moves swiftly to grant JSS independence, complete with its own leadership structure, budgetary allocations, and accountability systems, Kenya risks undermining the very foundation of its new education framework.
KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori recently echoed the same concerns at State House, cautioning that efficiency, not just affordability, should guide education reforms. He told President William Ruto’s administration that tinkering with half measures would only erode the gains promised by CBE.
With tensions rising, educators are now calling for radical restructuring, signaling that the battle for JSS autonomy could become the next big test for the government’s education agenda.
http://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/116400-teachers-demand-separation-junior-secondary-school-primary-schools
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