Lawmakers fury over schools closure

MPs have told off the Ministry of Education over its decision to close down the boarding sections in 340 public and private schools.

The legislators raised concern that the directive was done without proper public participation and involvement of parents. They argued that the ministry should have given parents and schools a moratorium to allow them to comply with the said directive gradually.

In a heated debate on the floor of the House before they went for their recess, the MPs said that most of the schools have been built using National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

Majority Whip and South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro, MPs Farah Maalim (Dadaab), Johana Ng’eno (Emurua Dikirr), Makali Mulu (Kitui Central) and Mugambi Rindikiri (Buuri) said there is need for the government to explain to parents the reasons for closing many schools and the measures they are putting in place to mitigate the inconveniences and losses that the schools, parents and students will suffer.

“Looking at the education challenges we face, such as issues of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Grade 9, people struggling with school fees, the holiday and economic challenges, parents are left confused about what to do when schools resume in January,” Osoro observed.

The ministry had ordered the closure of boarding sections in 340 public and private primary schools for failing to meet safety standards.

Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang said the schools also failed to adhere to the standards prescribed in the Registration Guidelines for Basic Education Institutions (2021) and, therefore, did not meet the threshold to host boarding learners.

Confirming compliance
Nairobi leads with 49 primary schools, Kericho with 26, Uasin Gishu with 19, Kisii and Kiambu with 13 schools each, while Nandi had 15.

Osoro regretted that the directive may have come out of a panic reaction emanating from the fire breakout in Nyeri’s Hillside Endarasha Academy which claimed the lives of 17 pupils.
For instance, he cited a school called Metaburo Primary School in his constituency which he said was in the list of the schools to be closed down yet they had renovated it and worked on it to ensure it was compliant.

“What the ministry did is that after the incident in Nyeri, which was very unfortunate, it sent its officers to boarding schools to inspect and confirm compliance. Some were given three months to comply, others a month, and others even two weeks. What is more shocking is that the ministry officials did not go back after three months to confirm compliance by re-inspecting the affected schools,” he said.

Emurua Dikirr’s Ng’eno, who observed the need for Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASOs), also called on the ministry to rein in schools that are not compliant.

“There has to be a very good standard of assessing schools so that we do not close schools because of substandard dormitories or classrooms when the requirements of the people in an area need schools, classrooms and dormitories,” he asserted.