A total of 465 Secondary School Principals in Kitui County have undergone training in preparation for the transition of Junior Secondary School learners to Senior Secondary School next year.
For the first time, the principals are set to manage Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learners, prompting the Ministry of Education, through the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), to arrange a 3-day training aimed at equipping the educators with essential skills and knowledge to effectively implement the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
During the training, conducted simultaneously at Mulango and Muthale Girls’ Secondary Schools, the school leaders gathered from across the expansive County were informed about what to anticipate as they prepare to welcome the grade 10 cohort as well as the associated challenges.
Participants in the forum were informed about the new CBC guidelines, which include the selection, placement, and admission of learners into various categories of senior schools throughout the nation.
The senior school learners will need to specialize in one of three pathways, which cover Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
While addressing attendees at Mulango Girls High School during the official closing ceremony of the three-day training, Kitui County Director of Education Dr. Issack Hassan revealed that the County is currently expecting around 10,000 CBC Junior Secondary School learners to transition to Senior Secondary School.
The County Education Chief stated that arrangements for the upcoming transition have been progressing well to ensure a successful shift throughout the county.
Dr. Hassan noted that the county has sufficient high school institutions equipped with infrastructure and equipment ready to accommodate all ten thousand CBC Grade 10 learners transitioning to senior secondary school.
The Director of Education also confirmed that the placement of grade 10 learners will be based on the students’ choices, merit, psychometric testing, equity, and the capacity of schools.
Dr. Hassan added that senior school learners in grades 10 to 12 will study 7 subjects; 4 core subjects, which are English, Kiswahili, Community Service Learning, and Physical Education; and the other three will be chosen from the available pathways and tracks.
“There will be equity for all learners; they will all have an opportunity to select their pathway from the 3 senior school education pathways specializing in STEM, Arts and Sports Science, and Social Sciences,” stated Dr. Hassan.
The County Education Director also emphasized that the new curriculum requires teachers to be ICT-compliant to effectively perform tasks such as remote learning and live streaming of lessons, enabling both educators and students to interact using technology.
In his closing remarks, the County Education Director instructed the principals to inform all stakeholders at their respective institutions about the upcoming transition of JSS learners to senior secondary school next year to ensure the involvement of all parties in the transition process.