Members of Parliament are pushing for a major change in how Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) are run, proposing the deployment of principals to oversee the institutions and give them clearer autonomy.

The proposal emerged from resolutions passed during MPs’ fourth retreat in Naivasha, where lawmakers agreed that weak leadership structures were hurting the effective running of JSS under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

In their recommendations, MPs called on the Ministry of Education to rethink how junior secondary schools are managed.

“The Ministry of Education should review the governance and management framework of Junior Secondary Schools with a view to clarifying autonomy and leadership structures, including the feasibility of deploying principals,” the document reads.

Long-standing demands from teachers

If adopted, the move would mark a significant win for JSS teachers, who have for years argued that being placed under primary school administration creates confusion and slows decision-making.

Teachers say the current arrangement affects everything from budgeting to access to facilities and co-curricular activities.

“There is no clear line on who makes decisions or controls resources,” one JSS teacher said privately. “That uncertainty affects teaching and morale.”

Educators have also raised concerns over poorly equipped laboratories, unclear career progression paths and delays in confirming about 20,000 JSS interns on permanent and pensionable terms.

Unions back autonomy push

The call for administrative independence has gained strong backing from the Kenya Association of Junior School Teachers, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) and tens of thousands of tutors across the country.

They argue that recognising JSS as a distinct level would protect teachers’ professional growth and help stabilise the CBC system.

“Junior Secondary is not an extension of primary school. It needs its own leadership and identity,” a union official said.

However, not all unions agree. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has previously opposed the push, citing guidance from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform, which favoured keeping the current structure.

Fees, uniforms and school meals under scrutiny

Beyond leadership, MPs also raised alarm over rising and irregular school charges.

They urged the ministry to enforce transparency in school fees and crack down on unauthorised levies, remedial charges and other hidden costs imposed on parents.

Lawmakers resolved to prioritise amendments to the Basic Education Act, 2013, proposing penalties for school heads who increase fees without approval.

These sanctions would cover illegal levies and failure to follow approved fee guidelines.

MPs also called for the fast-tracking of the National Policy on School Uniforms and the School Lunch Programme, saying both could ease the financial strain on families.

As Parliament prepares to debate the proposals, attention now turns to whether the Ministry of Education will embrace the reforms or defend the current system.