- Ogamba said inspection will involve officials from the ministries of Education, Interior and National Administration, Health and Department of Public Works.
- Inspection teams will also comprise officers from the county governments and the Kenya Red Cross.
Image: MIN EDU
The government has announced a countrywide inspection of all public and private basic learning institutions to assess levels of compliance with safety guidelines.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the crackdown will be conducted jointly with relevant agencies to ensure schools comply with the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya.
“The first phase of this inspection, which started this week, will cover all boarding primary and junior schools in the country, while the second phase of the inspection exercise will cover secondary schools,” he said.
Ogamba said the inspection will involve officials from the ministries of Education, Interior and National Administration, Health and Department of Public Works.
He added that it will also involve officers from the county governments and the Kenya Red Cross.
“The inspection will also provide an opportunity for the government to unearth reasons behind the recent spate of school fires that have been reported in a few schools in the country, and make appropriate recommendations to remedy the situation,” he said.
Ogamba said firm and decisive action will be taken against Ministry of Education officials, school administrators, and managers found to have flouted the guidelines stipulated in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya, in accordance with the Basic Education Act, 2013.
CS noted that 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.
He said the manual, enforced by the Ministry of Education and relevant agencies, has so far served as an important guide in providing safe spaces for learners countrywide.
The CS stated that although the provisions of the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya have been adhered to by most schools, a few institutions have flouted the guidelines.
“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.
Ogamba urged schools to step up their preparations for the national Kenya Primary School Education Assessment, Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment, and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Examination that are set to start at the end of the Third Term.