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School dorms to have 24-hour security to keep off arsons

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A section of the twin dormitory that was burnt down at Chugu High School in a suspected arson attack on February 9, 2021. PHOTO | CHARLES WANYORO | NMG

Schools dormitories will now be offered 24-hour security in fresh plans to curb the rampant cases of fire in learning institutions.

Education Principal Secretary Julius Jwan through a directive to regional and county directors of education, wants the school board to ensure the dormitories are guarded round the clock in order to tame arson cases.

It is not clear though whether the dormitories will be guarded by private security or personnel from the government agencies such as police.

But the PS said the school management should work closely with officers from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to ensure adequate security is provided.

“Boards of management should ensure adequate and enhanced security around dormitories on 24-hour basis,” said Dr Jwan. The PS has also directed schools to urgently convene board meetings to discuss students' indiscipline and share the resolutions with the County Education Board for necessary action.

In the circular, the PS issued a directive to schools not to admit students seeking transfer to other schools without having been released formally by their previous institutions.

“Any students involved in any form of indiscipline are not allowed to transfer to any other school. Therefore, no school should admit a student who has not been released formally by the previous school,” he said.

The government also wants schools to open up accessible channels of communication for adequate and seamless engagement with learners, including a mechanism for addressing student grievances.

Last week, the state revised the school calendar for the second term and allowed a four-day break in the wake of student unrest. Students will start their half-term break on November 19 and resume learning on November 23.

Initially, the school calendar had excluded the mid-term break in the initial calendar and students were to break for the Christmas holidays on December 23. School heads had called for a half-term break to ease the pressure brought about by a demanding crash programme that has resulted in a wave of unrest across the country.

The principals early this month wrote to the ministry asking to be allowed to take a break as cases of unrest spread throughout the country. There have been several cases of school fires since the beginning of the current term with the unrest attributed to lack of a half-term break.

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