Use mobile labs for JSS in remote areas, key State agency advises

A lab attendant arranging laboratory equipment at a newly established science lab at Fadhili Junior Primary School in Nairobi, in preparation for students transitioning to junior secondary school on August 25 2022. [File, Standard]

The School Equipment Production Unit (Sepu) has advised Junior Secondary School (JSS) heads to acquire mobile laboratories with solar power to address the shortage of equipment in remote areas.

Sepu Chief Executive Officer Joel Mabongo said the agency has developed mobile laboratories to equip Junior Secondary Schools in rural areas.

He was addressing more than 10,000 primary school head teachers in Mombasa during the annual Kenya Primary School Heads Association conference held at Sheikh Zayed Children Welfare Centre.

Sepu is a State agency charged with manufacturing laboratory equipment in the country.

The Sepu boss advised the head teachers not to wait for the parents to build a Sh3 million laboratory infrastructure and instead buy mobile laboratories at a lower cost for use by JSS students.

"Right now, most junior secondary schools do not have laboratories, which forces students to walk to the nearest high schools with laboratories so that they can do their practical lessons," said Dr Mabongo.

He said the agency had come up with mobile laboratories with science kits required in any laboratory, which can be used to introduce JSS students to practical lessons.

"The mobile laboratory in question has a chemical, gas cylinder, sink with taps, connected pipes and other required kits for the laboratory," said Mabongo.

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Mabongo said the head teachers of the comprehensive schools, which include CBC 2:6:3, must align themselves with the needs of the students before proceeding to senior secondary school.

"Teachers who fear teaching CBC because of the lack of laboratories should now stop the fear because Sepu has a solution for them," said Mabongo.

He said the agency was also ready to convert some of the existing classrooms to laboratories following the set-up of mobile laboratories with solar power.

"We have solar mobile laboratories for schools which have no electricity. The schools can buy each mobile laboratory at a cost of Sh220,000 instead of waiting for a big laboratory worth millions of shillings. We can also come to the schools and convert idle classrooms to laboratories at a very minimal cost," said Mabongo.

Kepsha chairman Jonhson Nzioka said the lack of infrastructure, including laboratories in the JSS should be urgently addressed.

He said when children are exposed to laboratory activities, they will have practical skills in line with the CBC.

Nzioka said the teachers in primary and junior secondary schools have already embraced innovations and want the government to support them in overcoming the existing challenges in CBC.