Government To Abolish Boarding Schools From January 2023

On 6^th December, New Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’ revealed that parents will have to take their primary schools’ kids to day schools

The government will from January 2023 do away with boarding primary schools for pupils learning in grades 1 to 9.

According to PS Belio, the plan to do away with boarding schools in primary school are at an advanced stage and will kick in early 2023.

The net effect of the radical policy means that pupils transiting to Junior Secondary Schools will join day schools in their home areas

It’s estimated that if implemented, the proposal will force at least 28 percent of learners in boarding primary schools to transition to day schools.

“We must create a way in which we can be with our children and the only way is through day schooling,” Dr. Kipsang noted.

The Education PS spoke during the official opening of the Kenya Primary School Heads Association Conference in Mombasa.

He also underscored the need for the government to do away with the categorization of secondary schools as part of the reforms that will help streamline the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Kipsang’ said that parents have the primary responsibility as first educators to walk with their children and ensure that they acquire the right values they desire them to have

“We cannot outsource our responsibility as we parents, we only co-parent with teachers but we cannot outsource parenting from the teachers,” Kipsang’ said.

“Going forward, day schooling will be the direction, that’s the only way we shall be able to engage with our children.”

PS Kipsang’ made the revelations when he represented President William Ruto for the official opening ceremony of the 18^th Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA.

The primary school heads are meeting in Mombasa for their Annual General Meeting at the Sheik Zayed Children’s Welfare Center.

Presidential Working Party on Education Reform recommended that Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) be domiciled in the existing primary schools.

The task force also asked the government to ensure that Grade 6 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) is not used for placement in JSS.

According to Prof Raphael Munavu-led team, the test should be used as an assessment to monitor learning progress while at the same time providing feedback to education stakeholders on areas that require intervention.

Primary head teachers have since been asked to ascertain the capacity of pupils they can accommodate in their respective schools.

At the same time, the government is currently building extra classrooms and laboratories in every primary school. The construction of laboratories has been given priority in the next year, PS Belio confirmed.

He also asked Kenyans to exercise patience even as the government continues with the development of infrastructure.

The government has also doubled the beneficiaries of school feeding programs as well as increased the allocation of the Free Primary Education National Fund as it looks for money to cater for non-tuition costs for learners.

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