The government has announced it is auditing secondary schools for aa building upgrade, in line with preparation for Junior Secondary schools come January 2023.
Junior secondary education will cover Grades 7, 8 and 9 for pupils aged 12 to 14.
Under the 2-6-6-3 curriculum, secondary school has been expanded to have six classes divided into junior and senior secondary, each running for three years.
Pupils currently in Standard 6 under the 8-4-4 system will meet in high school with those in Grade 4 under the CBC.
The expected large admission will stretch already overstretched secondary schools that lack enough teachers, classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and other facilities. Without an urgent upgrade, it will only get worse.
Thus, the audit must be thorough and scrupulous.
Under CBC, learning areas will be expanded and more practical subjects will need more resources.
There is also the element of schools specialising in the optional learning areas introduced under the new curriculum.
Implementation of what will be required must start early to avert a crisis when the current Grade 4 students start trooping to junior high schools in two years’ time.
Failure to plan and actualise early will lead to an unprecedented crisis in the education sector.
