JSS teachers reject domiciling proposal, insist on full autonomy

The Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers have strongly opposed proposals to domicile Junior Secondary Schools under existing primary or senior secondary school structures, instead demanding for a full administrative autonomy.

In a fresh push, the educators argue that domiciling is a temporary and ineffective solution that fails to address the structural and professional challenges facing teachers under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.

They maintained that Junior School was designed as a distinct level of learning and should be treated as such in policy and administration, adding that domiciling them within primary institutions has created confusion in leadership, supervision and professional alignment.

They insist that Grades 7, 8 and 9 require management by qualified secondary school teachers who understand subject specialisation and the academic demands of the level.

“Autonomy will give Junior School a clear identity, proper leadership, and operational efficiency,” they argue.

They have also faulted ongoing discussions within union leadership circles that suggest domiciling as a workable compromise.

While leaders of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) have spoken about restructuring and possible adjustments, grassroots JSS teachers say the conversation has drifted away from their core demand — autonomy.

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At the same time, tensions remain due to overlapping union representation.

In many institutions, Heads of Institutions belong to the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), while JSS teachers are members of KUPPET.

Teachers argue that domiciling only deepens this divide, especially when disputes arise between school heads and JSS staff, leaving uncertainty over which union should intervene.

Beyond union politics, teachers say the comprehensive school model has placed Junior Schools in an awkward position.

In sports and co-curricular activities they are grouped with primary schools, yet academically they align more closely with senior secondary institutions.

They argue that autonomy would eliminate this ambiguity and solidify Junior School as a fully-fledged, stand-alone level.

The teachers are now calling on policymakers and union leaders to abandon domiciling proposals and instead implement a clear framework granting Junior Schools independent administrative structures, staffing policies and leadership systems.

“We are not asking to be absorbed or shifted,” one teacher leader said.

“We are demanding recognition of Junior School as an autonomous institution, as it was originally conceptualized.”

As the debate continues, JSS teachers warn that without decisive action, confusion in management and representation will persist, potentially undermining the goals of education reforms.

By Philip Koech