The Government has unveiled plans to reform Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in response to staffing shortages, infrastructure gaps, and curriculum challenges that have emerged since the new education tier was rolled out.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba told the Senate on Wednesday that the reforms aim to enhance school independence, address staffing concerns, and refine the JSS structural framework.
“The process of reforming Junior Secondary to respond to any emerging concerns is in progress. At the appropriate time, Parliament will be presented with proposals for its consideration,” Ogamba said.
He noted that while JSS currently operates according to recommendations from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, consultations with stakeholders are ongoing to ensure inclusivity.
Ogamba was responding to Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, who raised concerns about teachers being forced to teach subjects outside their expertise. The CS acknowledged that the competency-based curriculum introduced new learning areas that did not always align with teachers’ training.
“All teachers in Junior School have undergone retooling to fully equip them with the necessary pedagogical skills to handle the new curriculum. The retooling exercise covered both pedagogy and content in all learning areas,” he said.
He added that recruitment drives have prioritized teachers in critical subjects such as sciences, mathematics, and technical fields.
Senators also highlighted inadequate facilities, particularly laboratories and workshops. Ogamba admitted the gaps but said the Government had made “significant efforts” to improve learning environments, including constructing 23,000 classrooms.
“Currently, schools without dedicated laboratories have designated rooms equipped to support practical components. We have instructed Junior Schools to use their infrastructure repair, maintenance and improvement allocation to establish laboratories. This allocation provides Sh4,000 per learner annually,” he said.
Tharaka Nithi Senator Mwenda Gataya questioned whether the Ministry relied too heavily on the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) for infrastructure.
Ogamba said multiple funding channels are being explored, including budget allocations, partnerships with international agencies, and support from entities such as the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Education, the Kuwaiti Fund, and the Safaricom Foundation.
He also encouraged alumni-led initiatives to improve school facilities, saying, “Such community-driven efforts foster a sense of ownership and responsibility in improving educational facilities.”
Addressing queries from Bomet Senator Wakili Sigei, Ogamba confirmed that major projects at Bomet University College, including the Library Block, Kitchen, Hostels, and lecture halls, were over 90 per cent complete.
“Once finalised, they will significantly improve the learning environment for University students,” he said.
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo raised concerns about the high dropout rate among girls. Ogamba described the situation as “dire,” citing poverty, teenage pregnancies, and cultural practices. “According to the National Council for Population and Development, cases of teenage pregnancies in Kilifi stood at 9,578 in 2019. Cultural practices such as disco matanga, drug and alcohol abuse, and widespread poverty have made many girls especially vulnerable,” he said.
Senators criticised the Ministry for not acting decisively against sexual exploitation of minors. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said the Ministry should take the lead in such cases rather than delegating responsibility to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“The Ministry of Education is the custodian of our children. Knowing what happens in some of these areas, you might not get a complainant; our expectation is that the Ministry is the complainant. The Ministry has figures, 6,000 teenage pregnancies in Kilifi County; they are the custodians of the data of the victims, so for the CS to refer us to the DPP is disingenuous,” he said.
“They should actually be the complainants in these cases. The Minister is trying to run away from this. If they have the data of the victims, how can they not have data of the perpetrators?”
Despite the sharp exchanges, Ogamba assured the Senate that the Government remains committed to addressing the challenges facing JSS and the wider education sector. He emphasised that reforms will be guided by evidence, consultation, and the principle of providing every child with quality education.