Demotion of Primary School Heads Receive Resistance
There has been opposition to the plan to demote primary school headteachers without degree qualifications in January 2024.
Top administrators of the Kenya National Union of Teachers opposed the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms’ suggestion to demote primary school head teachers without advanced degrees.
The taskforce’s recommendation calls for the consolidation of nursery, primary, and junior secondary schools into a single comprehensive school that will be led by a Principal with a degree.
Collins Oyuu, secretary general of Knut, claims that the union will not accept the plan since it would be the worst kind of work practise.
“In primary schools, graduates make up about 99 percent of the head teachers. You are mistaken if you believe that primary school head teachers are not college graduates, stated Oyuu.
He added that the organisation wants head instructors who lack degrees to be able to continue their education without being demoted.
Demotion of Primary School Heads Receive Resistance
He claimed that the majority of the in question teachers are degree-qualified.
In Mombasa county, Oyuu was speaking to Knut Coast regional leaders at Ronald Ngala Primary School.
“We will demand they be allowed to continue to university and obtain the qualification if there is any teacher who is a head teacher and is not a graduate.”
He added that the team’s other adjustments are supported by the union and that a comprehensive school should take the place of the Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School.
According to Oyuu, a comprehensive school should begin at the Early Child Development Education (ECDE) level and continue through Grade 12 under one administration with a single principal, as opposed to JSS, which is based in elementary school before transitioning to senior secondary school with various head teachers.
Additionally, he agreed with the suggestion to transfer the TSC’s authority to the Ministry of Education rather than limit it because the two organisations frequently disagree.
