Do not ask parents for money to construct Grade 8 classes, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu has warned school administrations.
In a press release dated January 12, 2024, the CS revealed that he has received a number of reports that some JSS are charging levies on the pretext of expanding infrastructure to accommodate learners joining Grade 8 in 2024, pointing out that other schools are demanding new school uniform for Grade 7.
Machogu has directed that all the 1,282,574 candidates who sat the 2023 Kenya Primary Schools Education Assessment (KPSEA) be allowed to join Grade 7 in the respective hosting schools where they attended Grade 1-6.
The CS instructed schools to ensure that Grade 7 learners utilize available classrooms that were used by the current Grade 8 in 2023.
Grade 8 learners should also utilize classrooms vacated by the last cohort of the Standard 8 candidates who sat the 2023 KCPE examination.
The CS now wants the JSS to allow the Grade 7 learners to attend school in uniforms that they used while in Grade 6 in 2023 as parents and guardians make efforts to buy new outfits for JSS.
The government plans to spend Ksh12.8 billion to facilitate construction of 15,015 classrooms for JSS over the next one year.
The Ksh7.6 billion released last week for JSS have been credited to school accounts. Field officers from the Ministry of Education (MoE) have been directed to ensure all instructions to JSS and Form One are strictly complied with.
By Obegi Malack
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