Education CS Julius Ogamba. /FILEEducation CS Julius Ogamba has faulted Butere Girls High School for allowing a non-teacher to train their students in a play that has since elicited controversy.
The school's 'Echoes of War' was written by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and entered for presentation at this year's Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Film Festival.
In a statement, the CS said involving a non-teaching staff in the training of students in co-curricular activities contravenes Teachers Service Commission (TSC) regulations.
In the case of a play, he said it also contravenes the rules and regulations for the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival.
“Section 9.0 note C of the regulations states that trainers of KNDFF items shall be teachers and tutors registered by the Teachers Service Commission or lecturers employed by registered post-secondary education institutions,” the CS said.
"The Ministry of Education is fully committed to promoting talents among our learners through all forms of co-curricular activities available in our school system. However, school principals are advised to stick to the rules and regulations governing the co-curricular activities," he added.
By allowing Malala to write and direct the play, Ogamba said, the school was in contravention of the regulations of Kenya National Drama and Film Festival.
Ogamba said TSC circular no 14 dated June 13, 2018 on protection of students states that all head teachers should ensure that for any co-curricular activity, persons not registered as teachers including teachers whose names have been removed from the register of teachers should not be incorporated in school programmes to teach, handle, manage, coach, supervise and/or assist in the teaching, handling, managing, coaching, supervision of pupils/learners.
By the same token, the TSC Code of Conduct and Ethics 2015 emphasise professionalism, he said.
He added that regulation (x) of the drama and festival event regulations bans hate statements targeting communities, personalities, and gender both on stage and out of stage and on social media is a misconduct.
The Education CS said that the former UDA secretary general should not have been allowed to direct the play, a role that should have been left to the teachers as per the rules and regulations.
"We cannot allow people to weaponise school children against authority. Let political wars be fought by politicians outside of learning environments," he said.
According to Ogamba, section 12 on duty to protect children states that teachers are responsible for safeguarding learners, which includes ensuring that only authorised individuals interact with them in educational contexts.
“Section 9 of the TSC Code of Conduct on evaluation of learners states that only teachers are tasked with assessing and training learners fairly and professionally.
He said that the Ministry of Education allowed Butere Girls to perform on Thursday at 8am, however, the girls declined to perform, citing the absence of Malala.
The CS said that the ministry will not allow people to weaponise schoolchildren against authority.
He said that instead, political wars should be fought by politicians outside of learning environments.
“The Ministry of Education is fully committed to promoting talents among our learners through all forms of co-curricular activities available in our school system,” he said.
The CS, however, said school principals are advised to stick to the rules and regulations governing the co-curricular activities.
