‎Education stakeholders in Tharaka-Nithi have called for greater autonomy for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), increased and timely government capitation, improved learning facilities and enhanced career progression for teachers as Parliament seeks views on proposed education reforms.

Parents, teachers, education officials, representatives of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), among others, presented their views on Thursday, during a public participation forum at Chuka University.

The forum was convened by the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education to collect views from residents on six proposed Education Reform Bills before the committee prepares its report for presentation to Parliament.

Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Ombane Gisairo, a member of the parliamentary committee, said they were at the forum to listen to stakeholders and identify provisions that may require amendment, removal or addition before the Bills proceed through Parliament.

Gisairo said the committee’s role was to ensure that the views of Tharaka-Nithi residents were captured and presented in its report.

“We are here to listen to the people and ensure that their views are captured. We will look at the issues they have raised and identify what needs to be changed, removed or added before presenting our report to Parliament,” he said.

He said JSS autonomy was among the most pressing issues raised during the forum, adding that concerns relating to teachers’ career progression would also be highlighted in the committee’s report.

The question of how JSS should be managed under the current comprehensive school arrangement dominated the discussions, with KUPPET representatives calling for junior schools to be given greater autonomy.

Pauline Nyamu, the KUPPET Tharaka-Nithi Branch treasurer, said JSS teachers felt disadvantaged under the comprehensive school arrangement and should be allowed to operate under an autonomous system.

She said greater autonomy would help address challenges facing JSS teachers and improve their motivation.

Nyamu also raised concerns over inadequate facilities for learners undertaking the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum, particularly laboratories required for practical lessons.

She said JSS learners were undertaking more practical activities under CBE, yet some schools lacked adequate laboratories and other facilities needed to support effective learning.

The Treasurer called for the proposed reforms to provide for improved infrastructure and adequate facilities to enable learners to fully benefit from the practical component of the curriculum.

While KUPPET representatives pushed for greater autonomy for JSS, KNUT representatives supported the comprehensive school model, saying the arrangement was important, but needed to address challenges affecting teachers and schools.

The stakeholders also raised concerns over school financing, with KNUT Tharaka-Nithi County Executive Secretary Njeru Mutani calling for increased and timely disbursement of government capitation.

Mutani said the government should release capitation when it is due and increase the allocation to reflect the rising cost of running schools.

He proposed that 50 per cent of the capitation be released in the first term, 30 per cent in the second term and 20 per cent in the third term, saying timely disbursement would enable schools to plan and meet their obligations.

He also raised concerns over illegal fees in schools, saying the government should provide adequate and timely capitation to ensure schools have the resources needed to meet their operational needs.

Mutani further called for teachers to be adequately supported through professional training and clear career progression opportunities.

He said teachers working in marginalised areas should also receive appropriate consideration under the proposed reforms, citing Igambang’ombe, where teachers have raised concerns over hardship allowances despite the area being identified as having hardship-related challenges.

The forum also heard proposals on the management of comprehensive schools, with stakeholders suggesting that such institutions should have a headteacher and deputy headteacher to improve administration and coordination of the different levels of learning.

On education governance, stakeholders called for greater professionalism in the management of County Education Boards, proposing that the boards should be headed by qualified education professionals.

‎ The tertiary education financing proposals also featured in the discussions, with stakeholders calling for a funding model that makes higher education accessible while ensuring students are not left with excessive loan burdens after graduation.

‎ The proposed Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill is among the six Bills under consideration and seeks to establish a legal framework for tertiary education placement and financing.

The six proposed Bills are the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026; Basic Education Bill, 2026; Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill, 2026; Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training Bill, 2026; Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill, 2026; and Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The committee has been collecting views from stakeholders across the country as part of the public participation process.

Gisairo said the committee would consider the views received from Tharaka-Nithi alongside submissions from other counties before compiling its report for presentation to Parliament.

He assured stakeholders that their concerns would be captured in the report, saying the exercise was intended to ensure that the proposed reforms respond to challenges experienced by learners, teachers, parents and education institutions.

by Dickson Mwiti/Christine Ngitori