Govt directs principals of boarding schools not to return students home.
With floods still wreaking devastation and killing at least 200 people and uprooting over 130,000 more, the Ministry of Education has instructed head teachers and principals whose students are already enrolled in school to keep them there and make sure they are safe.
Belio Kipsang, the principal secretary for basic education, stated in a statement that schools whose students have already departed for the second term must stay in the buildings for their protection.
According to Dr. Kipsang, students ought to be kept on school grounds and should not be put in danger while traveling home due to the unfavorable weather at the moment.
The PS sent a circular to all county education directors, copied to Ezekiel Machogu, the secretary of the Education Cabinet, and Nancy Macharia, the chief executive officer of the Teachers Service Commission, stating that “any learner who has not travelled to school should remain at home.”
The order was issued just hours after some parents and headmasters of boarding schools made the decision to send students home rather than allow them to remain in class for the entire week before the second term began.
The institutions will now reopen on May 6, 2024, instead of April 29, 2024, as planned for the second term.
Additionally, principals are to inform parents and guardians of the postponement and any further updates.
According to the PS, it’s critical that the neighborhood is aware of the precautions being taken to keep their children safe.
The PS has also directed heads of institutions to take action to safeguard food supplies that are currently on hand in light of the postponement.
In order to reduce losses during this time, proper storage should be made sure of. To safeguard school property during the postponed period, more robust security measures must to be implemented. The PS stated that this is being done to avoid any possible loss or damage that can result from the intense rainfall or any connected situations.
Additionally, daily updates on the schools’ water mitigation and reopening plans are planned.
According to Dr. Kipsang, the Ministry of Education needs the updates in order to keep an eye on the situation and offer support as needed.
The ministry has instructed field officials to gather information from all basic education establishments in the nation in order to help the government determine whether or not schools are prepared for the start of the second term, which was initially planned for Monday, April 29, 2024.
According to Dr. Kipsang, statistics from other pertinent government agencies and reports presented to the Ministry of Education have shown that the continuous heavy rains have had a major negative impact on a number of schools across the nation.
“These rains have had a severe negative impact on several of the affected schools. Furthermore, the PS stated that there may be a risk to kids’ safety when using the transportation systems due to their considerable disruption.
He stated that the ministry has chosen to defer the reopening of all elementary and secondary schools by one week as a result.
Monday, May 6, 2024 has been chosen as the new date of opening for all schools.
“During this interim period, the ministry will work with relevant agencies and stakeholders to implement measures aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of the rains,” said Dr. Kipsang.
He gave Kenyans the assurance that the ministry would keep them informed of any changes in the field of education on a regular basis.
Boarding school principals concur with the ministry, according to Mr. Willy Kuria, national chairman of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association.
According to Mr. Kuria, principals were also worried about students’ safety.
Additionally, we believe it is unsafe for the kids to return home, therefore we will detain the ones who are enrolled in school. We will keep learning, Mr. Kuria added. “In my situation, the 500 or so Form Four students had already arrived at school when the order was given because they were expected to open earlier than others.
He assured that the remaining few students who had already made their way to class would be kept secure.
Murang’a High School’s headmaster declared that students should remain in class because they had already placed their meal order.
“Letting them return home is dangerous due to the flooding; they might get carried away.” We concur with the government “Mr. Kuria continued.
Silas Obuhatsa of the National Parents Association (NPA) praised the government for hearing the concerns of numerous Kenyans and delaying the start of classes during the country’s greatest floods and rains.
As the administration prepares to reopen schools, Mr. Obuhatsa advised parents to maintain their composure.
“Until the official opening day, all youngsters should remain at home. Children need to be taken care of and warned about floods and severe rains by their parents. All boarding school managers who have taken in pupils ought to make sure they are safe,” he continued.
He begged Kenyans to realize that the current situation is the result of a natural calamity and is not the government’s fault.
“At this point, criticizing the administration is not going to solve the issues that Kenyans are dealing with. Floods are uncontrollable natural calamities that affect everyone, including the President and his administration,” he continued.
To minimize disruption to parents and school administrators, he did, however, ask President William Ruto to make sure that any future postponements of the academic calendar are communicated at least three days in advance.
Govt directs principals of boarding schools not to return students home.
Follow Us on Telegram.