Let principals swallow their pride as Junior School reforms reshape education

Let principals swallow their pride, at least for now.

I vividly remember the consultations conducted by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) on where Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) should be domiciled. At the time, KESSHA and other stakeholders expressed reservations about placing JSS in existing secondary schools. One of the arguments advanced was that Grade 7 learners, having just completed Grade 6, were too young to be accommodated in secondary school environments.

What perhaps was not sufficiently appreciated was the institutional and financial implications of that decision. Hosting Junior Schools would have provided existing secondary schools with an opportunity to retain a larger learner population, benefit from the associated capitation and attract additional infrastructure investment.

Today, the education landscape has changed considerably. With the transition of the first CBE cohort to Senior School in January 2026, some senior institutions are experiencing changes in enrolment and stream numbers. In certain cases, schools that previously operated several streams have had to contend with a reduction. Meanwhile, primary schools hosting Junior Schools have expanded their institutional responsibilities and learner populations.

It is important to appreciate that capitation follows eligible learner enrolment and applicable Government funding arrangements, rather than merely the number of classes. Nevertheless, the integration of Junior Schools has implications for resource allocation, infrastructure and institutional planning.

Perhaps if another stakeholder survey were conducted today, some Senior School principals would be more receptive to hosting Junior Schools within their institutions. The argument for retaining learners, strengthening enrolment and maximising the utilisation of existing facilities would probably carry greater weight. Unfortunately, the opportunity to adopt that arrangement at the initial implementation stage has passed.

Indeed, the Government had envisaged additional infrastructure, including classrooms and laboratories, to support the implementation of Junior Secondary Education. However, the decision to domicile JSS in primary schools ultimately prevailed.

For now, perhaps it is time for a little reflection.

The policy direction established through the PWPER recommendations and the Ministry of Education's January 2023 implementation guidelines placed Junior Schools within existing primary schools. The guidelines provided for primary school headteachers to lead the domiciled Junior Schools during the interim transition period.

The broader question of how comprehensive schools should be administered and how their leadership structures should evolve has, however, continued to attract debate.

One cannot ignore the emerging administrative and professional implications of this arrangement. Senior School principals generally occupy higher administrative grades than primary school headteachers. Senior School principals would have been better placed to administer Junior Schools.

More importantly, questions surrounding the career progression of Junior School teachers remain unresolved and deserve urgent attention. There is legitimate concern that teachers serving in Junior Schools could face limited opportunities for advancement if their career structures are not harmonised with those applicable to their colleagues in Senior Schools.

The question of whether Junior School teachers will enjoy equal opportunities for promotion, professional advancement and deployment across the two levels must be addressed through clear TSC policies.

It would be unfortunate if teachers implementing the same national curriculum under the same Commission were to find themselves operating within rigidly separated career pathways. Equally, movement between Junior and Senior Schools should be guided by clear professional qualifications, staffing needs and deployment policies rather than institutional boundaries alone.

Ultimately, the CBE reforms should be about more than where learners are accommodated or which institution controls the administrative structure. They should promote equitable resource allocation, efficient institutional management and fair career opportunities for teachers.

In conclusion, the debate over where Junior Schools should be domiciled may have been settled administratively, but questions of teacher career progression, leadership recognition and professional mobility remain far from resolved.

Equally, Senior Schools experiencing critically low enrolment should not automatically be earmarked for closure. Instead, the Government should consider allowing such institutions to accommodate Junior School learners and offer the Junior School curriculum under the leadership of their existing Senior School principals, subject to the necessary policy and administrative approvals.

This would provide an opportunity to optimise existing infrastructure, safeguard institutional investments, retain educational facilities and promote more efficient utilisation of human and financial resources.