Teachers to teach 26 weekly periods

By Joan Mugenzi THE Ministry of Education and Sports has issued new policy guidelines for implementation of curriculum and staff establishment ceiling in secondary schools. The five-page document signed by Mr Sam Onek, the director of education are meant to "make our secondary education curriculum and staff establishment ceiling cost-effective and efficient," the document states. The guidelines which take effect this academic year and affect both private and government schools, will not affect Senior Three and Four. Under these guidelines, each school will offer 17 subjects in S1 and S2, to be reduced to 10 in S3 and S4. According to the document, the minimum teaching load should be 26 periods per teacher, per week. Headteachers are expected to have six and their deputies 14. Each school is expected to have one "excess" post to allow for one teacher to go on study leave. "The same post could be a fill-in-teacher in cases where you have long absences caused by ailments," reads the document. However, this teacher is expected to carry out the ordinary duties of a teacher. Ends