Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers in Kajiado County have raised concern of the understaffing in schools which with high number of students forcing them to double task in order to deliver learning mandate.
The teachers while addressing the press in Kajiado, demand for autonomy from the Primary school so that their myriad challenges can be addressed amicably.
The teachers said they are overwhelmed by heavy workloads, understaffing and lack of motivation, noting that they are handling large numbers of learners without adequate support.
They called on the government to allow JSS tutors to specialize in their teaching areas to improve learning outcomes.
Mary Nyambura, a JSS teacher, said the government should employ tutors trained in the specific subjects they are expected to teach.
“I am a trained English teacher, yet I am forced to handle Mathematics and Integrated Science, which affects both my morale and the learners’ performance,” Nyambura said.
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Another teacher, Abigael Mwendo, echoed the call for subject specialisation, saying it will ensure learners get quality education from professionals trained in specific fields.
Edwin Osoro, also a JSS teacher, urged the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to urgently address the staffing gap, warning that failure to act risks compromising the quality of education under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The teachers further complained that they have not been adequately equipped with the skills needed to effectively deliver the CBC, which has added to their frustration in the classroom.
They appealed for more staff to be recruited on permanent and pensionable terms to ease pressure on the existing workforce, and threatened to down their tools if their demands are not addressed.
They also complained that working under management of primary school heads dimmed the difference between them and the primary schools, yet they were a level higher.
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Besides, they noted, the primary school heads may not understand their challenges, especially in facilitating the teaching activities, where money was required, hence would not be quick to address them, even where they had capacity to do so.
In relation to this, they said autonomy would give them management that understood their challenges and one that would solely focus on addressing their matters with relevant authorities hence better JSS.
Their concerns come amid ongoing national debate on the management of JSS, with education stakeholders pushing for clarity on staffing, infrastructure and curriculum delivery following the transition to CBE.
By Juma Ndigo
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