The inaugural cohort of Junior Secondary School (JSS) tutors claimed that they were yet to receive their three-month salaries since the 2023 academic calendar began - highlighting a crisis in the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Education stakeholders called the Ministry of Education to intervene in the situation as the first term came to an end.
Despite the Teachers Service Commission's (TSC) absorption of 36,000 tutors into the project to curb the shortage, some critics argued that the phase still faced a myriad of challenges for its successful implementation.
According to Ken Echesa, an education expert, the 36,000 teachers were not only sent to JSS but also to primary and high schools thus making it of little significance.
While breaking down the scenario, he noted that Grades 7 and 8 were supposed to be taught 14 units but most schools had only two tutors posted.
"In JSS, we have about 14 learning areas and high school teachers are trained to teach 2 subjects. About 70 percent of teachers deployed were humanity who basically teach history and religion, Geography and Kiswahili.
"These tutors are not in a position to teach integrated science that is Chemistry, Physics and Biology. This tells you that most of our teachers have gone a full term without introducing students to integrated sciences," he stated.
The crisis came after the Ministry of Education released a statement on April 14, 2023, indicating that it had released Free Secondary Education (FSE) funds for JSS.
All heads of institutions were instructed to acknowledge receipt of funds by issuing official school receipts to the Principal Secretary, State Department for Basic Education for both Tuition and Operation Accounts.
The County Director of Education through the Sub County Director of Education would also be provided with an allocation of funds dully signed by individual students.
Schools that did not acknowledge the funds within two weeks would be suspended from the funds' programme.
"JSS may not enter into financial contracts including Hire Purchase, bank loans without the express written approval of the Cabinet Secretary in line with Section 18 of Fourth Schedule of the Basic Education Act, 2013.
"Every head of the institution shall be responsible for application and utilisation of funds as the Accounting Officer of the school," the statement read in part.
