Lobby assures parents on closure of boarding units

A private schools lobby has assured parents that schools whose boarding sections the government has shut over safety compliance will resolve the issues and be ready to reopen in January 2025.

Senior officials of the Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) said that learning would not be interrupted since the affected schools are working to meet requirements for boarding facilities as directed by the Ministry of Education.

“The schools facing these issues have been informed. The Ministry of Education has communicated that they must address the areas that were found to be problematic. Since schools are on recess, they are working on these improvements. I believe that within the next two to three weeks, many of them will have complied. Afterwards, the Ministry of Education is expected to revisit and reassess these schools to ensure they meet the required standards,” said Charles Ochome, KPSA chairperson.

He spoke at a press briefing at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi.

On November 27, Early Learning and Basic Education PS temporarily closed boarding sections in 348 schools for failing to meet safety and operational standards as provided in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya (2008).

Read: 7,000 private schools close down in 4 years

The assessment targeted private and public primary schools. Secondary schools were not audited.

Mr Ochome said some schools have already fixed their shortcomings and requested the MoE for reassessment. He expressed optimism that more schools will comply, paving the way for reviews and eventual reopening.

“I want to assure our parents that they should not panic. They should go to the schools and discuss with the managements whom, I believe, have already written back to the MoE,” he said.

The reassessments will be conducted at the county level. The directive by Dr Kipsang has also drawn attention to broader issues in education management, including the readiness for the Grade 9 transition under the competency-based curriculum (CBC). Private schools, Mr Ochome noted, are prepared for the transition.

“The preparation for Grade 9 in private schools is seamless. Parents can rest assured that the continuity from Grade 7 to 9 will be uninterrupted,” he said.

While no schools have been entirely shut down, the temporary closure of boarding sections has raised concerns among parents.

Mr Ochome observed that the move by the government aims to protect learners.

“This is a collaborative effort. The ministry has communicated with schools, providing guidelines on the necessary corrections. With schools currently on recess, they have ample time to address these issues,” Mr Ochome explained.

According to the circular issued by Dr Kipsang, the decision was reached following an assessment exercise of all boarding schools in September and October.

“An assessment exercise to establish the status of compliance to safety standards for all boarding primary schools in the country was carried out in the months of September and October 2024,” part of the statement reads.

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