Machogu: State to build 15,000 classes for Grade 9

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The government will construct 15,000 classrooms in preparation for the enrolment of Grade Nine learners next year, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has announced.

According to Machogu, the ministry is making necessary preparations in readiness for Grade Nine, which will be domiciled in primary schools.

Speaking at Kangaru Girls during the 62nd National Drama and Film Festival, the CS revealed that the ministry will recruit 20,000 Junior Secondary School teachers.

Machogu commended Kenya's Drama and Film Festivals for improving standards over the years and that his ministry is collaborating with other sectors to grow Kenya's Creative Arts Industry internationally.

"We are combining efforts, to further grow this reality that we have today, so that these young people with the talents they have, can even be able to go to international level," he said.

Machogu alluded that they are recruiting neighbours in East Africa to start a drama festival in their respective countries to upgrade it to a regional activity in future.

"The only country we have been competing with is Uganda, we have encouraged Tanzania, Rwanda and other countries to join and make it a regional affair," Machogu added.

He said that content will be digitised so that it can be a learning material as well as enable the learner to start earning from it.

Jacinta Mulwa, the Head of KRA tax education, observed that the partnership with Drama and Film Festivals will see learners acquire knowledge on taxes at an early stage.

Kenya National Drama and Film Festivals chairman Charles Odhiambo noted that this year's festivals improved with increased participation and more categories.

Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong'ondo revealed that this year's festivals have raised over 10,000 Euros (Sh1.4 million).