The first week of Junior Secondary School (JSS) instruction in public schools is still shrouded in confusion. There was teacher shortage in the institutions on the third day that students had reported to class.
More than 50% of children in the Nyanza and Western regions are enrolled in JSS, but like in other areas of the country, the kids are still not being taught.
“In Nyanza the response has been very good, as you can see we are in Kisii this morning and we are at 60%,” Nelson Sifuna, a director of education in Western says.
Children are still being admitted to schools and registered in nemis systems while those already enrolled in classes are passing the time while they wait for the formal start of learning. Await associated with teachers’ arrival.
Officials from the Kenya National Union of Instructors criticize the excessively long wait for teachers.
The region’s education officials admit the deployment’s delay. However they insist that this should not stop those teachers in the schools from stepping in.
“I request the teachers to continue going to class and teaching as we wait for further direction, for those children still at home, I request that you report as fast as possible,” Sifuna adds.
KNUT officials are requesting immediate action, while ministry of education representatives from the area indicate there won’t be much of a wait for teachers.
“We want to ask tsc to deploy the teachers as early as yesterday so that these learners can have an experience of learning in junior secondary,” Obuon says.
According to Sifuna, the deployment procedure is still in progress. The counties will receive the list of approved teachers after the regions have delivered it to them.
Even though they are well-equipped, some private schools in the same area are seeing low enrollment as parents choose to send their children to public schools for free education.