KITUI: A total of 465 Secondary School Principals in Kitui County have been trained in preparation for the transition of Junior Secondary School learners to Senior Secondary School next year. The principals are set to handle Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learners for the first time, prompting the Ministry of Education, through the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA), to organize a three-day training session aimed at equipping the tutors with necessary skills and knowledge to effectively implement the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
According to Kenya News Agency, the training, held concurrently at Mulango and Muthale Girls' Secondary Schools, provided school heads from across the county with insights on what to expect as they prepare to receive the grade 10 class and the challenges they may face. Participants were informed about the new CBC guidelines, which include the selection, placement, and admission of learners to various categories of senior schools across the country.
The senior school learners will specialize in one of three pathways: Arts and Sports science, social sciences, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Speaking at Mulango Girls High School during the official closing ceremony of the training, Kitui County Director of Education Dr. Issack Hassan disclosed that the county expects about 10,000 CBC Junior Secondary School learners to transition to Senior Secondary School.
Dr. Hassan noted that preparations for the transition have been progressing smoothly to ensure a successful process across the county. He stated that Kitui County has adequate high school institutions with the necessary infrastructure and equipment to accommodate all ten thousand CBC Grade 10 learners.
The Director of Education assured that the placement of grade 10 learners would be based on choice, merit, psychometric test, equity, and school capacity. He explained that senior school learners in grades 10 to 12 will take seven subjects: four core subjects-English, Kiswahili, community service learning, and physical education-and three subjects selected from their chosen pathways and tracks.
Dr. Hassan emphasized the fairness of the new curriculum, ensuring all learners have the opportunity to choose their pathway from the three available options. He also highlighted the importance of ICT compliance for teachers to facilitate tasks such as remote learning and live streaming of lessons, enabling both teachers and learners to engage using technology.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Hassan directed principals to sensitize all stakeholders at their institutions about the upcoming transition of Junior Secondary School learners to senior secondary school next year, ensuring the involvement of all actors in the transition process.