Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) is now calling on the government to grant the Junior Secondary School full autonomy and separate it from both Primary and Senior Secondary Schools.
The teachers' union is demanding the establishment of a distinctive administrative framework for JSS learners, different from the Primary School where the current JSS is domiciled.
The teachers on Saturday, September 20, argued that the government's move to place JSS within Primary Schools had created confusion, particularly on issues touching on co-curricular activities and administrative roles.
Accoring to the teachers, JSS could not undertake their learning activities effectively when domiciled within either Primary or Senior Secondary schools.
"We, as the JSS teachers we want to be independent. We want our institutions so that we can undertake our duties effectively," said one of the JSS teachers.
"There is a lot of confusion, starting from the entire administrative functions of these schools to how sports and co-curricular activities are managed. This is affecting not only the teachers but also the learners," said another teacher.
Addressing the press in Machakos County, the JSS teachers also lamented the workload balance, claiming that some of them handled up to 45 lessons per week.
They noted that their workload balance was heavy compared to their primary school counterparts, who they claimed only handled up to 24 lessons per week.
The JSS teachers went on to add that the inconsistency in the teaching workload was unfair and unsustainable. "How can a teacher who teaches Grade 9 students be assessed by a Grade 3 class teacher?" noted a JSS teacher.
The teachers further argued that the separation of JSS from the Primary section was crucial in the safeguarding of the future of the Competency-Based Education (CBE).
The teachers' comments come a week after KUPPET Secretary General Akello Misori made a similar proposal during a meeting held at State House, i which President William Ruto attended.
"As much as we have more affordability in our schools, something that has been ignored and must be interrogated further is the domiciling of our Junior Secondary Schools in Primary Schools," Misori said.
However, the KUPPET boss' proposal was met by harsh criticism from a section of the teachers who attended the meeting. The proposal sparked backlash, forcing the teachers' union leader to temporarily halt his speech.
To quell the situation, Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok quickly intervened and calmed down the agitated teachers before the KUPPET Secretary General continued to speak.
