Secondary school heads received some important directions from Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha yesterday.
He told them not to turn away youngsters because they lacked school uniforms, and that any student wearing a uniform that looked like their school’s should be admitted.
Second, the CS warned schools against placing excessive financial demands on parents. Third, he instructed teachers not to send students home due to expenses.
These guidelines demonstrate that Prof Magoha not only cares about children’s well-being, but also recognizes that many parents and guardians are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the current economic downturn. For that, we applaud him. However, we encourage him to guarantee that the government provides the necessary resources for schools to continue operating normally.
He added that this being his final year at the helm of the ministry, he is hellbent on ensuring that the country finally achieves the 100 per cent transition rate.
“My orders are to deliver 100 per cent transition. This is actually the fourth year we are going to deliver it. Because it is my last time, you can be sure I will deliver it with more energy.
“The child is a Government child. Who are you to start saying that there is no space in the school? If there is no space, do you think we are unable to create space,” stated Magoha.
The CS further jumped to the rescue of students from poor backgrounds directing that they should not be turned away for reporting without school uniforms.
This directive has forced some schools to invent ingenious ways of ensuring that all students get a bed as well as a desk in the classroom
Kenya High School, which regularly has six streams, added a new stream after receiving a high number of students during admission.
Some institutions like Kisumu Girls High School were forced to convert the newly built Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classrooms to serve as dormitories.
“This is a boarding school, what we don’t have is the dormitory. We are going to create some alternative room where the students will stay,” a staffer from the school told the press.
Form one admission ends Tuesday, May 10, with the Ministry of Education hoping to enroll more than a million students. Learners are also staring at a crash program with the academic year having been condensed into just six months. The normal school calendar will resume January, 2023
