By John Majau
The government has been urged to urgently deliver all the test books needed in the Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) curriculum to enable smooth running of studies.
Tharaka Nithi branch KNUT Executive Secretary, Mr Njeru Mutani, regretted that only three test books including English, Life Skills and Integrated Science out of the mandatory 14 have been delivered to schools so far.
He said 11 test books are yet to be delivered and challenged the suppliers to up there game by ensuring that they are delivered as soon as possible.
Speaking to teachers in Marima market in Igambang’ombe Constituency, Mutani said the failure to deliver the books on time as derailed the learning process in all schools.
“The most challenging and biting issue we have right now is lack of enough test books in JSS. There are only three test books which have so far reached the JSS including English, Life Skills and Integrated Science. We have 14 learning areas. They have only delivered three meaning 11 test books are not yet delivered. This is the time the children needs the books most to enable them study. The book suppliers should up there game to ensure they reach in time,” said Mutani.
He also warned the suppliers against delivering the books to the Sub County headquarters and advised them to instead take them directly to schools.
He said the head teachers will not pick the test books from the sub county headquarters because it is very expensive to pick few books from there.
The KNUT official said the headteachers are not ready to waste money and time travelling to and from the headquarter to pick a single or two books.
“They should bring all the test books together instead of delivering them in portions. The teachers are anxiously waiting for the books to teach while the students want to learn. The suppliers are sleeping on their job. This is because the learning process is being derailed by lack of books, ” said Mutani.
He also said that they do not want the JSS to fail owing to the amount of work the government had put in the system to ensure that it succeeded.
He hailed the parents and teachers for ensuring a 99.9% transition rate to JSS from upper primary school level.
He also thanked the government for managing to post a teacher in every JSS but challenged it to employ enough teachers in JSS in order to enable smooth running of schools.
He said priority should be given to primary school teachers when employing managers because there are teachers in primary schools who can man the JSS well.
He called on the government to immediately release the capitation fees for the JSS in order to enable headteachers run the schools properly.
“The government has a data of all the children which had originally delayed. We hope the government will release the capitation funds in time to enable the smooth running of JSS,” said Mutani.
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