Confusion and dissatisfaction are prevalent regarding the ongoing Centre for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) training for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) teachers across various counties.
Reports indicate a lack of preparedness caused by unclear communication from relevant officials.
Additionally, concerns have arisen in some sub-counties where directors have exceeded the invitation criteria by including language and humanities teachers while excluding science-based teachers.
Disgruntled educators from the Nyanza region have raised their grievances about this situation. In the Nairobi region, confusion has arisen over the lists of invited teachers.
Upon reviewing the lists, some educators noticed that many invited teachers did not belong to the sub-counties from which they were drawn.
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In the western region, private school teachers expressed frustration, as most sub-county directors focused only on public schools for the exercise.
They questioned why they are consistently marginalised in crucial activities like retooling and the upcoming CEMASTEA training. Teachers reported that they were still unaware of the training venues as of yesterday.
“We have social media platforms where information is usually communicated. Our superiors are active on these platforms, so why aren’t they directing us?” lamented a frustrated private school administrator from Busia County.
When contacted, Jacinta L. Akatsa, Chief Executive Office at CEMASTEA, said the training kicked off on Wednesday in all the INSET Centres without a hitch and was well organised.
The training will run from February 26 to March 1, 2025.
She said the training conducted in 66 SMASE INSET Centres across the country targets over 8,500 teachers.
The process was open, and at least one teacher from each Junior School and private school was invited to participate in the training.
The training of junior school teachers in mathematics and integrated science involves using open educational resources, virtual labs, and other digital resources.
The CEO said that by integrating such innovative tools and methodologies, teachers can foster a more engaging, interactive, and effective learning environment.
This will improve student engagement and interest in STEM subjects, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills through hands-on experiences, and facilitate personalised learning pathways for diverse learners.
The training supports the government’s process of strengthening systems for equitable quality secondary education in both Junior and Senior Schools, particularly for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, as Senior School takes off in January 2026.
CEMASTEA is a public institution established in 2003 to provide and coordinate In-Service Education and Training (INSET) for practising teachers in Mathematics and Science.
The four-day training focus on ICT and is intended for those not previously attended CEMASTEA training on pedagogical content knowledge.
By Kaptich Tarus
Just scrap it. It has been earmarked as a resource gobbler without much returns.