By Kipilat Kapusya
Most public Junior Secondary Schools (JSSs) in West Pokot county are unprepared for admission and teaching of Grade 7 learners and are yet to construct required facilities including classrooms and laboratories, a snap survey by Education News has shown.
At Makutano Primary school, JSS only has one class and all the 120 Grade 7 learners are congested in the same class.
The school Principal Julius Arusei said that the JSS section has only four teachers.
“We are facing a big challenge in terms of classrooms because we have very many learners,” he said.
Elsewhere, Shonken Primary school head teacher Geoffrey Plilan said that they have not built any classroom or laboratory for JSS in the school.
“We are still waiting for the government to release funds for building infrastructure for junior secondary. We thought that the learners would go to secondary schools,” he said.
Chepsepin Primary school is also facing the same quagmire where the head teacher Evans Kuya said that they are yet to construct any facility for JSS.
Another school, Miskwony Primary had the roofs of six classrooms blown away by wind last year and they are yet to receive funds to replace them.
“We have a deficit of classrooms and no one has come to our aid,” had teacher James Matolo lamented.
Former West Pokot Education Director Francis Shikanda noted that measures are still being put in place to set up classrooms, dormitories and laboratories in the schools.
“We are currently in discussions with the Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to discuss the matter,” he said.
The situation in the above schools is a stark contrast to their private counterparts such as Makutano Central Primary school which has at least set up two classrooms.
“The two classrooms are complete and we are in the process of building a laboratory,” said head teacher Albert Mayende.
The school Director Wilbert Mukhwana said that each class has 35 students at the moment, with 13 girls and 22 boys.
“So far we have no major challenges,” said the Director.
