EDITORIAL: Let’s address concerns raised by headteachers

While the government is keen on fulfilling its goal for a 100 percent transition rate from primary to secondary school, there are a number of challenges that should be addressed quickly.

According to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, its members are experiencing a higher level of stress and anxiety brought about by the congestion in their learning institutions.

These are hurdles that cannot be wished away by the Ministry of Education. We urge the policy makers to listen to the cries of their representatives on the ground.

They have raised very pertinent issues that must be resolved in order for the full transition push to be successful.

They are urging the government to ensure that it provides the institutions with adequate infrastructure, teaching personnel, beds and desks.

It is foolhardy to expect these schools to attain success in learning when they are bogged down by the lack of facilities and manpower.

While we support the government’s quest for every primary school pupil to move to high school, it is imperative that the schools receive support on the same.

The ministry must also ensure that the student numbers at these schools do not overwhelm the respective institutions.

That is why we urge the Education ministry to listen to the headteachers who have been tasked with ensuring that the transition rate is attained.

It is a sorry state of affairs when you have many students but lack the proper infrastructure and personnel to ease their learning experience.

One primary goal is to make sure that a student’s life is comfortable. The reported congestion being experienced at many institutions is not conducive for learning.

Fr example, the headteachers association has cited as an example one school where the headteacher has received 500 students but has no facilities or manpower to cater for them.

Failure to provide the schools with the proper amenities has left the headteachers with a major headache.

The ministry honchos must burn the midnight oil and come up with quick and long-lasting solutions to the problem. We owe that to our children,