Junior secondary to get 8,000 labs at a cost of sh 10 billion

The Ministry of Education will construct 8,000 new laboratories in Junior Secondary Schools across the country as it steps up efforts to ensure the Competency-Based Curriculum is successful.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said the laboratories will cost the Government Sh 10 billion and cover at least 40 per cent of what is required.

Speaking in Kisii Central yesterday during his inspection of Junior Secondary Schools, Machogu said the government was committed to ensuring that every child gets proper funding and rules out any possibilities of reverting to the 8-4-4 system.

Machogu said each of the laboratories would cost at least Sh 1.2 million, even as he challenged Members of Parliament to make it a priority and fund the construction of more laboratories through the Constituency Development Fund.

“We have held consultations with World Bank on how to get funding. We have enough classrooms, and all we need is to do some renovations. We will eventually achieve our target for the Junior Secondary.”

The CS announced that the government would disburse money for JSS this week, which will see each learner in Junior Secondary School receive Sh 15,040. “We were waiting for the figures, and the Ministry is now ready to release the money to all schools that have Junior Secondary.”

Students in Senior Secondary Schools will continue to receive Sh 22,244, while those in primary schools Sh 1,420 each.

According to the CS, a total of 15, 640 students are yet to report to Junior Secondary School despite stating that the transition to JSS had hit 96 per cent.

“We are not going back to the 8.4.4 System. The Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms indicated that 84 per cent of Kenyans want CBC to be implemented. This is the best system to impact competency skills on our children.”

He explained that most Kenyans and parents also wanted Junior Secondary domiciled in primary schools.

“The level of preparedness is good. For over seven years now, we have been training teachers on CBC. We have facilities in public schools that are even better than those in some private schools, and the better performance among pupils from public schools in the 2022 KCPE examinations is a testimony to this.”

He stated that the Government has a record 91 per cent transition to Secondary School.