CBC Grade 9 Rollout Faces Classroom, Teacher Shortages

On the first day of Grade 9 under the competency-based curriculum (CBC), over one million learners returned to school despite facing significant challenges, including classroom congestion and a shortage of teachers.

Despite government assurances of readiness, reports from various regions indicate that many students were sharing classrooms and utilizing makeshift facilities. While most schools received textbooks, some began the term without essential learning materials. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba recently addressed these concerns, asserting that the government is on track with the implementation of the final junior school class.

However, specific schools such as Kilifi Primary reported challenges with 186 Grade 9 learners and only six teachers sharing two constructed classrooms. Similarly, Kibaoni Primary School lacks dedicated Grade 9 classrooms and has resorted to temporary arrangements to accommodate students.

In Mombasa, Fuad Ali, national vice-chair of the Kenya Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha), highlighted a successful transition for over 100 learners at Tom Mboya Comprehensive School. Meanwhile, Ogamba announced that 14,500 of the planned 16,000 classrooms had been built, promising that schools still without textbooks would receive them shortly.

The situation in Laikipia County necessitated creative solutions to address inadequate infrastructure and teacher shortages. Jackson Thangei, executive secretary of the National Union of Teachers (Knut) in Laikipia, noted that while infrastructure development has reached 75%, a shortage of teachers remains a pressing issue.

Many schools have had to adapt to incomplete classroom construction. Nkando Primary School combined Grade 7 streams into a single room to free up space for Grade 9 learners, whereas Kairigire Primary repurposed its staffroom as a classroom. In Meru County, 348 Grade 9 classrooms are under construction; however, delays in funding have hindered progress.

Challenges were also evident in North Imenti, where MP Rahim Dawood reported a deficit of 29 Grade 9 classrooms and sought approval for the construction of 12 new ones. At Umoja Mbuyu Primary School in Nyandarua, students remained at home due to the lack of available classrooms.

Overcrowded classrooms, insufficient desks, and a shortage of teachers have been common issues noted in Narok and Nakuru counties. On a positive note, Maralal DEB Primary School in Samburu County successfully completed seven new classrooms and plans to add two more to accommodate its increasing number of Grade 9 learners.