Magoha to Shutdown Schools With Low Enrollment to Reduce Cost

The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Prof. George Magoha says that his Ministry will close down schools with low enrolment in an attempt to curb the cases of ghost schools that siphon millions of shillings from the government.

The Ministry is hoping that the move will cut down the overbearing cost they have been carrying each year.

“If there were ghost schools, they will not exist anymore. Currently, we don’t have ghost schools and if you find one you should let me know,” CS Magoha said on 14^th July 2021 while inspecting the SEKU campus in Wote Makueni county.

ALSO READ: Government Spent More Than KSH. 1 Billion On Ghost Students In High School

According to Magoha, whoever wants to register a school will have to move to Jogoo House.

“From Jogoo House we will come to the ground to check whether it conforms to the required standards. Once we are okay with that, it will be put on GIS,” CS Magoha said.

He, however, stated that this move will not affect the schools in the northern part of Kenya, especially in places like Wajir and Marsabit. The region often faces many challenges including the escalating war for pasture and drought that prevents many students from enrolling in the different schools as required.

Learners in both primary and secondary schools are expected to resume home for a short period from today, Friday 16^th July 2021 to 26^th July 2021 according to the new school calendar.

The disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led to the change of the school calendar which necessitates that the students will have only a maximum of one week holiday before resuming for their first term learning on 26^th July 2021.

CS Magoha earlier this week cited his concerns now that the learners are expected to be home with parents. He urged the parents to stay close to their children and take this opportunity to teach them morality and life in general without assuming that they have already learned from school.

Above all, they should ensure their children are keeping the necessary contingency measures put in place by the ministry of health to avoid the spread of covid 19.

ALSO READ: Government Has Been Funding Education For 500,000 Ghost Pupils

The students are expected to break for a three-day first-term half-term from 26th August to 29thth August 2021.

On Tuesday 13^th July, Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), and Kenya Union of Special Need Education signed a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), with no salary increment even though they had disputed and rejected the offer in the first proposal.

The TSC boss, Nancy Macharia said that there will be room for strengthening the deal in the future in case there’s a need.