The management of comprehensive schools, inadequate government funding and growing tensions between primary school headteachers and Junior School (JS) teachers are expected to dominate discussions as education leaders gather in Mombasa for the 2026 Kenya Comprehensive Schools Heads Association (KECSHA)Annual General Meeting and National Conference.
The four-day conference, scheduled for November 9 to 12 at the Sheikh Zayed Children Welfare Centre, comes as schools continue adjusting to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system and the integration of JS into primary school institutions.
One of the major concerns expected to feature prominently is inadequate government funding. School heads are seeking increased and timely capitation to meet operational costs and support effective curriculum implementation.
Another issue likely to attract attention is the delay in the supply of curriculum textbooks to schools, which has raised concerns about the availability of essential learning materials and the smooth delivery of the curriculum.
The conference is also expected to address growing disagreements between primary school headteachers and JS teachers over the management of comprehensive schools.
The integration of JS into primary institutions has raised questions about administrative authority, professional autonomy and the roles of teachers under the new arrangement, creating tensions that education stakeholders are under pressure to resolve.
School heads are also expected to renew their calls for improved career progression and promotions, arguing that managing comprehensive schools has significantly increased their responsibilities.
Under the new structure, headteachers oversee expanded institutions incorporating JS, a development that has increased their administrative and supervisory workload. They want the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to recognise these additional responsibilities through appropriate promotions and improved career structures.
The conference will be held under the theme "Re-imagining the Comprehensive School of the Future: Strengthening Leadership, Systems, Skills and Values for Sustainable Quality Education."
The Mombasa gathering is expected to give school leaders a platform to examine the challenges facing comprehensive schools, engage education stakeholders and push for policy interventions to improve learning outcomes.
With funding, school leadership, learning resources and career progression among the anticipated talking points, the conference comes at a crucial moment for the sector as it navigates ongoing curriculum and structural reforms.
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