Teachers want subjects in secondary schools reduced
John Awiti, the national chairman of the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, addresses reporters at Wild Waters in Mombasa on June 19, 2016, a day before the start of a one-week meeting of school heads. He called for the reduction of the number of subjects taken in secondary schools. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He added that the current system forces students to do compulsory subjects that they do not need.
- He was speaking Sunday at the Wild Waters Centre ahead of the 41st KSSHA conference that begins Monday.
- Mr Awiti noted that cases of indiscipline have been on the rise in schools but headteachers had failed to disclose them for fear of being regarded as weak managers.
- He recommended that the curriculum used in training teachers be reviewed with a view to enabling them to handle the current crop of students, who he said are "complicated".
Headteachers want the number of subjects taught in secondary schools reduced and that they be based on skills and talent training for students.
Reducing the number of subjects would cut students' workload that has often resulted in indiscipline and poor performance among learners, said John Awiti, chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KSSHA).
At the same time, Mr Awiti said headteachers would investigate the causes of indiscipline among secondary school students.
“The number of subjects we give to students must be reduced now. Students in Form One and Two take 12 subjects [and those in] Form Three and Four have eight subjects,” said Mr Awiti, adding that this overloads the learners.
He was speaking Sunday at the Wild Waters Centre ahead of the 41st KSSHA conference, which begins Monday.
MORE TIME WITH STUDENTS
He added that if students' workload is reduced, teachers would also have more time for students.
“When the timetable is loaded and everything has to be examined in tests, [students] find the school to be very tense for them,” he added.
He added that the current system forces students to do compulsory subjects that they do not need and has left teachers with little time to help the learners exploit their talents.
Mr Awiti noted that cases of indiscipline have been on the rise in schools but headteachers had failed to disclose them for fear of being regarded as weak managers.
The KSSHA chairman recommended that the curriculum used in training teachers be reviewed with a view to enabling them to handle the current crop of students, who he said are "complicated".
KSSHA vice-chairman Alfred Indimuli said the headteachers would address, among other issues, drug and alcohol abuse, teen sex and the proposed new syllabus during the one-week meeting.
