Education CS Prof. George Magoha has said the distribution of grade 6 learning materials in primary schools will be completed by Friday this week.
Magoha yesterday aslo said the government will support and approve junior classrooms created by private schools in readiness for the smooth transition of Grade Six learners from primary school to Junior Secondary School in 2023.
He said the government would approve proposals from private schools that would like to start junior secondary schools, saying they only need to show they have space and could get teachers who are aligned to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“Proprietors of private schools who have space for expansion and have the financial capacity to construct at least two classrooms within a month that will host the junior secondary should apply.”
Grade five learners are set to join grade six, in April when the 2022 academic year begins.
The total number of Grade Six and Standard Eight learners expected to join the secondary school in 2023 will be about 2,571,044.
With parents worrying about the big number of candidates, the CS maintains that the Ministry is fully prepared to ensure 100pc transition to high school.
“We have worked very closely with private schools, as our partners and investors, we are encouraging those who can afford to go ahead and create solo junior secondary schools. This has been an open secret. It means they add two classrooms and teachers which I believe they have been doing as we move along together” said the CS when he commissioned 11 new classrooms at Bungoma DEB primary school.
However, the Education chief said the government will not fund private schools in building CBC classes.
Magoha said the construction of the first tranche of 6,467 classrooms which started in November is on track and would be completed before the start of national exams next month.
The second phase will be rolled out in April, immediately after the National Exams.
The government plans to construct 20,000 new classrooms by 2023 when the first CBC cohort will join junior secondary schools.
” We have the resources to meet our target. At the moment Ksh3.2 billion earmarked for the project is yet to be utilized” he said.