School heads have cautioned Education CS Prof. George Magoha against being rude and arrogant, further blaming the rising cases of unrest in school on his perceived arrogance.
Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has raised an alarm against Magoha for being over-aggressive and arrogant to his juniours.
The School heads urged the Education Cabinet Secretary Professor George Magoha to close the schools before the unrest and students misbehaviours get out of hand.
According to the KUPPET Vihiga branch head Sabala Inyeni, who said that the Cabinet Secretary does not listen to them completely, whenever he is advised to let students go for midterms, he usually rejects their proposals and insists that schools must go on uninterrupted.
“He does not listen to county and sub-county directors of education and headteachers. School infrastructure is being destroyed each and every day. Whenever we request him to allow us to send the students home, the CS rejects and reiterates that schools must go on uninterrupted.
“We ask Magoha to reconsider his hardline stance as the parents are shouldering the burden,” Inyeni said.
The School headteachers have also complained to the CS that the teachers are exhausted and needed some break from the tight school calendar that was implemented by the CS after the schools were opened.
Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Magoha is under a lot of pressure to get solutions that will end the recent spate of school fires from across the country. Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary-General Wilson Sossion, called on Magoha to provide solutions rather than pushing the blame on parents and teachers.
Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) Chairperson, Indimuli Kahi, on November 2nd 2021, accused the Ministry Of Education of failing to its oversight roles and did not consider factoring in midterm breaks in the new tight learning program.
“This was an oversight from the very beginning. When we had the pandemic response committee look at the opening of schools, that is when the calendar was drawn. At that point, we did not notice we missed out on half-term break,” Kahi said.
But in his response, The strict Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Magoha said that the schools will not be shut down, and further directed that parents pay for the damages.
“It looks mundane and juvenile to burn a building. It is stupid, it’s primitive and must stop. We are not closing any schools,” The CS said.
“It has been decided that the half-term break will commence on Friday, November 19, 2021. The students will report back on Tuesday, November 23, 2021,” reads the statement.
