Teachers from across Uasin Gishu County converged on Saturday, September 20, 2025 in a large assembly to discuss the fate of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) and the rollout of the new curriculum.
The meeting took place against a backdrop of heated debate over the government’s plan to introduce comprehensive schools, a proposal many educators strongly oppose.
The forum brought together teachers from both primary and junior secondary levels, with participants urging the government to step in and safeguard the quality of education.
Speakers expressed concerns that the reforms could destabilise junior schools and erode teacher professionalism.
Addressing the gathering, Elijah Maiyo, Executive Secretary of KUPPET Uasin Gishu, expressed concern that comprehensive schools would erode the role of junior secondary teachers and their career development.
“We are here to look at the issue that is an elephant in the house: the junior school. While efforts to implement the new curriculum are ongoing, some government directives may not meet our expectations or address the practical challenges faced by teachers,” Maiyo said.
He criticised the recently released Sessional Paper 2025, faulting the 45-day parliamentary timeline for its gaps and lack of adequate consultation. “As part of public participation, we want to express our concerns that some issues in this Sessional Paper must be repealed and removed entirely,” he added.
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Maiyo stressed that merging early childhood, primary, and junior secondary into a single school system is impractical. “Junior secondary school teachers are highly qualified graduates suited for post-primary education.
Merging these teachers into one system disregards their qualifications and undermines their academic contributions,” he warned.
Funding and infrastructure also dominated the discussions. Maiyo asked the government to ensure that capitation is channelled specifically to junior schools, rather than being shared with other programs.
“The lives and academic progress of our children are at stake if capitation is misallocated. Resources for co-curricular activities must also prioritise junior students,” he emphasised.
Sosten Bellat, Chairman of Uasin Gishu KUPPET, was equally firm in his stance, declaring: “We will not compromise on JSS autonomy. Comprehensive schools should not be implemented, and the government must confirm all interns without further delay.”
He insisted that the 20,000 intern teachers must be confirmed by November 1.
Other teachers echoed these concerns. Anita Akosgei, representing junior secondary staff, thanked the government for confirming 46,000 teachers but appealed for the immediate absorption of the remaining interns.
Brother Adams called for revisions to the curriculum changes in the Sessional Paper, cautioning that the transition to a 2-6-3-3 system could create problems if rushed. He also urged the proper use of competition funds allocated to schools.
From the floor, Tarus, a junior school teacher, complained that local officials recently blocked attempts to relay teachers’ issues to the President. He emphasised that such interference denies teachers proper representation and jeopardises their efforts to secure fair funding.
The assembly ended with a strong commitment to defend the independence of junior secondary schools, advocate for fair resource allocation, and push for the swift confirmation of intern teachers.
Union leaders promised to submit memoranda to MPs in Uasin Gishu, petitioning them to oppose the comprehensive school model and and come up with policies that will uphold teacher professionalism while improving standards of education across the county.
By Joseph Mambili
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