Education CS Has Issued New Directives For All Schools

The Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba issued a mandatory inspection of all schools across the country.

According to the press statement, Education CS stated that the inspection would be done to ensure that all schools follow the safety protocols outlined in the Safety Standards Manual. Ogamba added that the impromptu checks would be carried out by a multi-agency team from the Ministries of Education, Interior, and Health.

Officials from the Department of Public Works, officers from the County Governments, and those from the Kenya Red Cross will also be involved in mandatory check

The inspections will also provide an opportunity for the government to unearth the reasons behind the recent spate of school fires reported across the country.

“It will also help us make appropriate recommendations to remedy the situation, in cases where there are fresh interventions required that are a departure from the indiscipline cases reported in the previous years,” the CS clarified.

The CS also noted that firm and decisive action would be taken against Ministry of Education officials, school administrators, and managers found to have flouted the guidelines. Ogamba said that the first phase of this inspection will cover all boarding primary and junior schools in the country.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the inspection exercise will be conducted in all secondary schools upon completion of the first phase.

According the CS, the ministry has consistently put in place policy measures and guidelines aimed at ensuring all public and private boarding schools adopt safety standards that provide a conducive environment for learners.

“One of the key policy documents in place is the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya that provides a blueprint that must be adhered to by all public and private schools to ensure learner safety,” he said.

“The recent incident at Hillside Endarasha Academy, Nyeri Country, in which 21 innocent learners lost their lives as a result of a fire tragedy, has underscored the need for the government and school managers to firmly enforce school safety guidelines at all times if we are to avoid a recurrence of similar cases in the future.” the CS said.

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