Education Ministry Issues Notice To Parents Of 348 Unsafe Schools
The government, through the Ministry of Education, issued an order to all parents of students at 348 schools that were shuttered last year, pushing them to move to other schools before they reopened next week.
Speaking to the press on Friday, January 3, Basic Education Permanent Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang stated that any school that fails to fulfill the ministry’s preparedness requirements will not be permitted to open and directed all parents to transfer their students.
“Any school that has not met the preparedness levels won’t be allowed to proceed. For those who will not be ready, we have already told parents to seek alternative schools for their children,” PS Kipsang stated.
The 348 schools were closed for failing to satisfy safety standards for dorms, posing a risk to students, in violation of the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya (2008).
Kizungumkuti Cha KEPSEA Na KCSE:
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Katibu wa Elimu Belio Kipsang amewahakikishia watahiniwa kwamba matokeo ya mtihani wa KCSE yatatoka siku 10 zijazo.#NTVJioni @MwakaFridah pic.twitter.com/PNlnqpdXXR
According to the PS, only schools that have completed repairs and alterations in accordance with safety regulations will be allowed to reopen following an inspection by education officers.
Only 10 of the 17 private schools mentioned among the 348 in Kisii County are reported to have met the required safety criteria.
The majority of the colleges listed have yet to make the necessary modifications.
Heads of impacted schools were encouraged to contact the ministry for prior inspections before the schools open for the first term of 2025.
Kipsang contended that some schools required minor adjustments to meet safety standards.
“Some of them are just a matter of re-registration to reflect that they’re boarding,” he explained.
“Some of the criteria considered during the inspection included exit sections within boarding facilities and the availability of extinguishers, among other safety measures.”
The exercise was undertaken following a rash of school infernos that struck the country in 2024, prompting the ministry to inspect all boarding schools.
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The most notable was the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire, which claimed the lives of 21 students and injured dozens more under unknown causes, leaving the country in complete shock and mourning.
Following the statewide inspection, the government announced that the 348 schools would not resume regular operations unless they passed the necessary safety criteria.
An evaluation effort to determine the level of compliance with safety regulations for all boarding primary schools in the country was conducted in September and October 2024.
The exercise also revealed that the affected schools did not meet the standards outlined in the Registration Guidelines for Basic Education Institutions (2021).
Education Ministry Issues Notice To Parents Of 348 Unsafe Schools
