KUPPET Advocates For Students In Grades 8 And 9 To Transfer To High Schools: The new plans of the teachers’ union aim to divide lower secondary education into two parts and organize different levels of learning for primary and secondary schools.
Under the plan, seventh-graders would remain in elementary school while eighth- and ninth-graders would be moved to high school, according to the Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet).
KUPPET, a teachers union in Kenya, is proposing major changes in secondary education for young people. Their plan suggests keeping seventh graders in elementary school while moving eighth and ninth graders to high schools. This is different from the current procedure of preparing three years of lower secondary education in primary schools. Assessment of JSS learning and teaching.
The union opposes the establishment of a one-year college, saying it has not been implemented well. They want an investigation to be done on how teachers implement Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) in high schools. KUPPET’s proposal coincides with the celebration of 25 years since its establishment.
KUPPET wants the government to hire thirty thousand teachers if the eighth grade remains in primary school. They express concern about the shortage of qualified instructors in high schools, citing inexperienced teachers and a lack of academic expertise. KUPPET criticizes the government’s reliance on trained teachers to implement CBC, creating what they describe as a chaotic learning environment.
The transition
Misori criticizes the Parliament for failing to plan and provide enough teachers, despite expecting a big change from primary school to lower secondary school.
“It is Parliament that has failed to consider this issue for many interests, as it is responsible for allocating the money that the Treasury gives to the Teachers Recruitment Commission (TSC) to hire “more teachers,” Misori said. The union also accuses of disagreement and widespread dissatisfaction among young educators, due to low salaries.
Silas Obuhatsa, president of the National Association of Parents, questioned the financial implications of Kuppet’s proposals for parents.
“This would result in high costs for the purchase of new uniforms, and worse for parents whose children would attend boarding schools as they would have a heavy financial burden,” Obuhatsa said.
Instead, he added, the government should improve the infrastructure of primary schools to ensure a smooth transition before introducing 8th grade education. KUPPET is campaigning for 8th and 9th grade students to be transferred to high schools.
