Primary School Heads Oppose Proposal to Shift Junior Secondary Management to Senior Schools

 

Education CS Julius Ogamba.

Primary school headteachers have opposed a government proposal seeking to transfer the management of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from primary institutions to senior secondary schools. The headteachers maintain that such a move would destabilize learning and reverse progress already made in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) rollout.

The proposal is part of ongoing discussions led by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, which recommended that management of Grade 7, 8, and 9 learners be placed under secondary schools for better alignment with the curriculum and teacher specialization.

However, during a national consultative forum, primary school heads argued that they have already taken significant steps to integrate JSS within their institutions. Many schools have expanded classrooms, adjusted timetables, and supported newly deployed teachers to accommodate the junior secondary cohort. They said moving the learners again would disrupt learning and cause unnecessary anxiety among learners and parents.

School heads also expressed concern that many secondary schools lack the capacity to absorb the additional students. Some senior schools are already grappling with overcrowding, infrastructure shortages, and staffing gaps. According to the headteachers, shifting junior secondary management would strain secondary schools further while also diluting the emotional and social support younger adolescents currently receive in primary school settings.

They instead called on the government to strengthen the current model by providing additional funding, deploying trained subject teachers, and completing the ongoing construction of laboratories and specialized learning spaces. They believe these measures would stabilize the junior secondary transition and enhance learning outcomes.

The Ministry of Education has yet to issue a final directive, as nationwide stakeholder consultations continue. The outcome is expected to shape the next phase of CBC implementation and the long-term structure of Kenya’s basic education system.

Reporting by: Babz Abdul Raheem N.
Date: November 11, 2025