Report on last year's school unrests 'ready', says PS

Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang. FILE PHOTO | NMG

What you need to know:

  • Dr Kipsang said the report has been received and is being studied by the ministry before being made public.
  • He thanked principals, and praising them for their support in working with the government in dealing with school unrests.
  • Dr Kipsang says Sh155 million has been set aside to help schools affected by insecurity and drought.

A report on the widespread of school unrest that rocked the education sector last year is ready, Principal Secretary for Education Belio Kipsang has said.

Dr Kipsang said the report has been received and is being studied by the ministry before being made public.

Speaking during the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kessha) conference at Wild Waters centre in Mombasa, Dr Kipsang said a joint taskforce that had been appointed to investigate the incidents had completed it work and handed it to the ministry.

"The taskforce formed by Cabinet secretaries for Education and Interior has finished it business and we have gone through the report and I can assure you that we will implement it so that going to the future we will not have such challenges again," said Dr Kipsang.

Registered success

He said the ministry was just doing a trial in the administration of examination last year adding that he was happy that it was successful.

"This time round I can assure you that students will perform even better because they know that the oxygen will not be there and are psychologically better prepared," he said.

He said the ministry will administer this year's exams in a better way.

"From the lessons we learnt last year we are more prepared to administer the examination this year. I have visited a number of schools and seen that teachers and students are preparing themselves adequately for this exams I have no doubt that they will perform better," he said.

Dealing with unrest

The PS thanked the principals and praised them for their support in working with the government in dealing with school unrests.

"There are already guidelines that have been prepared by the government on the security and safety of students and teachers in the schools to improve the learning environment," he said.

Dr Kipsang said the government was committed in making free secondary education programme a reality.

"We shall continue to ensure that we channel resources to our schools and improve them in terms of infrastructure to ensure our students go to better place of leaning once the free secondary education program is implemented," he said.

He reaffirmed the government commitment to make sure all class eight students transit to secondary school next year.

Free education

"We have been preparing as a government to ensure all our children are able to get 12 years of free education because they are all children of this country," said Dr Kipsang.

He said the government had injected Sh7 billion to expand 2,500 secondary schools in the country in order to absorb all the class eight leavers.

He said: "In the past the we have been talking of 80 per cent transition. Where are the others going at age 13 since they cannot absorb in the labour.
market."

He said the expansion will include addition the construction of 2,000 classrooms, 1,000 laboratories and other 1,000 facilities.

Dr Kipsang said Sh155 million has been set aside to help schools affected by insecurity and drought.

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