Move graduate teachers from primary to high school: report

The ministry of Education has come up with proposed reforms aimed at improving the quality of education alongside the implementation of the new competency-based curriculum.

The proposed reforms drafted in the Priede Project, Education Quality Dialogues Executive Report 2018 were arrived at after a series of meetings seeking to establish the challenges affecting learning and teaching. The dialogues were rolled out in all the 47 counties in March.

The project funded by the World Bank and spearheaded by Education CS Amina Mohamed and Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang had its findings released this week.

If adopted, the proposed recommendations shall see the government allocate billions of shillings in employing new primary school teachers to replace those who are  moved to high school.

This follows the recommendation that all graduate teachers in primary schools be moved to secondary schools.

RETIRED TEACHERS

The report has also proposed that all retired teachers under the age of 65 years in marginalised areas be recalled to teach on contract terms and that any teaching graduate from the region be employed immediately.

The report's findings that have detailed all the threats facing provision of quality education in the country ranging from school land issues, teacher shortages, poverty amongst learners, alcoholism amongst teachers and students as well as parental negligence in supporting their children's education are set to be addressed by multi-government agencies and concerned partners.

Some of the proposed interventions include provision of bursaries, intensive supervision and monitoring of curriculum implementation, amongst others.

In terms of schools inaccessibility as observed in many counties, it was recommended that county governments upgrade all roads leading to various schools.

The ministry shall come up with a language policy for all schools to curb the use of vernacular among learners and teachers, which was found to contribute to poor performance in English and Swahili languages.

QUALITY EDUCATION

The report also recommended that there was a need to produce effective ICT literate graduates to aid in delivery of quality education as well as install all schools with sustainable power and internet connectivity.

To respond to the needs of the pastoralist child in the competency based curriculum, the report recommends that it be re-evaluated and redesigned to make it relevant to them as well as pastoral programme instruction materials for their trainers.

It also calls for affirmative action that reduces KCSE grade requirement of C- to those admitted to a teacher training college in marginalised areas.

To increase parents and community engagement in running of schools, the report calls for enhanced sensitisation on their roles in improving the quality of teaching and learning by checking on the challenge of absenteeism among children and teachers.

To curb child labour, the report proposes an enhanced working relationship between the ministry of Education and that of Interior to eliminate the vice, especially in fishing and mining areas, which contribute to absenteeism and eventual dropping out of school among learners.

INFLUENCING STAFFING

Politicians and religious leaders should be sensitised to stop interfering with the running of schools through influencing staffing of head teachers and principals.

“Enforce government policy on regulating registration of new public schools following concerns that mushrooming of new institution’s without following laid down procedures was over stretching the available human resources and infrastructure,” says the report.

Government is asked to introduce a well-researched rationale and formula for resource allocation that factors in the special needs learners.

As for bridging the gender balance among male and female learners, administrative and legal efforts that promote access, retention and transition for both gender and in particular, the girls, be put in place.

Discourage schools from administering commercial examinations to pupils.