The recent circular from the Ministry of Education (MoE) requesting that all Special Needs Education (SNE) learners in special schools, units, and integrated schools be assessed afresh to guide the right capitation disbursement is facing many challenges.
Education News has learnt that TSC, realising that their officers Curriculum Support Officers Special Needs Education (CSO SNE) were to carry out the exercise, devised programmes on teacher management that prevented most of the officers from beating the deadline set by MoE.
Education News is privy to information that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) was unhappy with the exercise as it was not their mandate, yet their officers were to carry it out.
In some sub-counties in Central, Coast and Rift Valley, learners are yet to be assessed because the officers had to attend to their employer’s duty before being permitted to carry out learners assessment.
“My Director told me that my mandate ends with teacher issues,” replied one CSO SNE when asked why his learners had not been assessed in his sub-county.
The assessment component was initially undertaken by Education Assessment Resource Centre officers (EARC) domiciled in MoE.
In 2015, all the officers were deployed and made CSOs, rendering assessment services in limbo.
READ ALSO:
Why Education Minister, the late Mutula Kilonzo, fought holiday tuition
Many head teachers from special schools and units who were reached for comment made a clarion call to MoE to give them more time, as the officers had not visited most of their schools for assessment.
“We wonder what will happen to our schools on matters of capitation. Our learners have yet to be assessed as per the ministry’s circular,” said one special school headteacher from Nairobi.
As this goes on, many CSO SNEs feel they are not in a position to carry out assessments. They find it hard to reach the schools due to the MoE’s lack of facilitation.
“It’s funny: MoE wants us to go around assessing learners, yet they are silent on how we will move around the schools in the sub-counties under our jurisdiction,” wondered one CSO SNE from the Western region.
Beginning today, the Kenya Institute of Special Education will train 47 CSO SNE drawn from all counties on issues related to SNE. The issue of learners’ assessment is expected to be discussed.
By Naboth Murunga.
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
