The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has abandoned a World Bank sponsored programme that would see primary school teachers upgraded to handle junior school classes.
The Commission had listed a total of 38,849 P1 teachers who it said had scored quality grades in their KCSE examinations and were capable of teaching Grades 7, 8 and 9 if trained.
According to TSC acting CEO Eveleen Mitei, this would address the perennial staffing crisis facing junior schools.
“The Commission is committed to ensuring that junior school level of education operates at optimum staffing level,” said Mitei in a circular dated 22nd August 2025.
Mitei noted that junior schools had a shortage of 72,422 teachers and equipping the PTE teachers with key competencies will offer a quick remedy and create opportunities for the P1 teachers.
This plan was designed inline with a proposal by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) which recommended merging of primary and junior schools to form one Comprehensive school.
The Comprehensive school would then be managed by one principal and two deputy principals where one would be for primary and another for junior school.
TSC had already initiated appointment of one junior school teacher to act as deputy principal of junior school.
The Ministry of Education had immediately adopted the proposals by the reforms team and had started fresh registration of all primary schools as comprehensive schools as it awaited approval by Parliament.
However in shocking changes, TSC has proposed to make junior schools independent both in administrative and structure.
In the proposals junior schools will have its own management headed by a principal similar to those in senior schools.
This means primary school teachers will continue to serve only in primary schools unless they are officially deployed by the Commission to work in junior school.
Some sources have indicated that the P1 World Bank upgrading funding was diverted to President William Ruto’s Nyota programme to empower the youth who are struggling with joblessness.
The proposals which were presented to Parliament before the National Assembly Committee on Education last week, will see junior schools break away from joint leadership with primary schools.
If approved by Parliament, this will be a major win for junior school teachers who have been pushing for the institution autonomy since its inception.
The proposals by TSC come after President William Ruto briefly met some junior school teachers during national exam marking exercise last year and promised to address the junior school autonomy issue.
“I have heard you and I think you have a point. I will have a talk with the Teachers Service Commission, which is an independent institution on what they are going to do,” said Ruto after he briefly met teachers stationed at State House Girls High School for KJSEA marking exercise who had pushed him to declare junior school independent.
Under the new structure junior schools which comprise of Grades 7, 8 and 9 would operate independently, no longer under primary school heads who have managed this section for the past three years.
This is a blow to primary school headteachers who have served as Principals of junior schools in acting capacity and who have been pushing for their confirmation.
The headteachers were hopeful that the institution would be merged with the primary section and create an opportunity for their promotion to job group D1.
The latest reforms by TSC would allow junior schools to appoint substantive principals and deputy principals.
However this development has created a need for additional salaries, benefits, and administrative resources.
Mitei who had appeared before the Committee warned that the Commission faces budgetary constraints that may slow implementation of key reforms, including the rollout of a new administrative structure for junior schools.
She defended the proposals saying the move is intended to strengthen leadership, accountability, and service delivery in junior schools, which are currently managed jointly with primary schools.
Mitei told MPs that the change would require increased budget allocations for personnel emoluments to sustain the new leadership positions.
“In a bid to streghten leadership and governance in junior schools, there is a proposed policy change to provide a new administrative structure,” Mitei stated.
She added that the reforms are necessary to support effective curriculum implementation and ensure proper succession management within schools.
TSC indicated that newly deployed administrators would require extensive training and capacity building to manage the institutions effectively.
Junior school teachers have been accusing primary headteachers of mismanagement of junior school resources and high handedness in management.
The teachers are accusing primary headteachers of using junior school funds to equip primary schools.
Most junior school teachers are uncomfortable with junior schools being headed by primary headteachers, who they say are incompetent and are less educated.
Last year the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) and Kenya Junior School Teachers Association (Kejusta) led calls for autonomy in the management of junior schools.
The two groups argued that granting junior school independence would not only ease administration but also strengthen the Competency Based Education (CBE).