The Ministry of Education is reviewing placement policies to enhance transition of learners from Grade 6 to Junior Secondary (JSS), according to a Principal Secretary.
The PS in charge of Implementation of Curriculum Reforms, Prof Fatuma Chege, said placement policies are key in rationalising and determining how to utilise learning institutions’ infrastructure and distribution of resources.
“Reviewing policies will support in issuing guidance and recommendations to determine how the transition will be rolled out after Grade 6,” said the PS.
She spoke when she oversaw the ongoing Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) training of teachers at Moi Nyeri Complex School.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) organised the weeklong programme, which started on Monday and seeks to train some 100,000 teachers from regular and Special Needs Education (SNE) primary schools.
Grade 5 rollout
The training comes ahead of the Grade 5 roll out in July, when the 2021 education calendar will start.
The training focuses on overview of the basic education curriculum framework, curriculum design and its components, learning outcomes and assessment among other key areas. The pioneer CBC group is expected to transition to JSS in 2023.
According to the taskforce on curriculum implementation final report, JSS Grades 7, 8 and 9 will be domiciled in the secondary education level.
This, the taskforce explained, was informed by the fact that it is at JSS that learners will need to deepen their understanding of the broad CBC and choose pathways and tracks to follow in Senior Secondary School (SSS).
“Domiciling JSS at secondary school level will optimise teacher utilisation as they will teach at both Junior and Senior Secondary school levels,” the taskforce stated in its final report.
Learners who, in 2022, will be in primary school Grade 6 under the 2-6-6-3 CBC and those in Standard 8 of the 8-4-4 education system will concurrently transition to Junior Secondary Grade 7 and Form 1, respectively.
For effectiveness of transition from primary to secondary education of the CBC and 8-4-4 cohorts and domiciling of JSS in the Basic Education structure, critical issues that will influence the double transitions need to be addressed.
At the same time, Prof Chege has urged teachers to guide learners in identifying their skills and abilities.
