Illustration: The Government has directed head teachers to promote safety of learners.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has directed principals and head teachers to step up measures to promote safety of learners in schools.
TSC Chief Executive Nancy Macharia urged school heads to be vigilant, enhance supervision of learners and tackle disciplinary cases promptly to forestall disorder and promote a conducive learning environment.
In a circular dated September 13, Dr Macharia instructed all heads of institutions to work jointly with officers from the Ministry of Education and National Government administration to maintain safety in schools.
“As you are aware, safety, security and welfare of learners as well as effective management of institutional property is an integral component of the teaching and learning process. To this end, Institutional Administrators are required to take adequate measures to ensure safety of learners and institutional property,” the circular read.
The directive comes amid a wave of unrest that has hit various schools in the recent weeks, which have caused injuries to students and damage of property.
Several public secondary schools have been shut down indefinitely as the government institutes measures to contain the problem.
Dr Macharia also put head teachers flouting guidelines on safety standards on notice. She lamented that some head teachers have not implemented the guidelines provided in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya, placing the welfare of learners in jeopardy.
She underscored that the Government has issued adequate policies and circulars to the school administrators to assist them in enforcing compliance with the guidelines.
“The Commission shall take firm disciplinary action against those found to have flouted the guidelines stipulated in the Manual, in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Regulations for Teachers and the Code of Conduct and Ethics,” the document read.
Specifically, the head teachers were ordered to remain in school at all times and jointly work with deputy heads of institution and senior masters in charge of boarding programmes to safeguard learners’ safety.
They were also instructed to partner with law enforcement agencies in investigating arson and indiscipline incidents and recommend administrative and legal action against perpetrators.
The government is keen on abating upheaval in schools following the dormitory inferno that claimed the lives of 21 students at Hillside Endarasha Academy Primary School in Nyeri County on September 6.
To prevent a recurrence, the Ministry of Education embarked on a multiagency inspection of all public and private basic learning institutions to assess their levels of adherence to the manual.
In a statement on September 11, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang stated that the first stage of the undertaking will cover boarding primary and junior schools, while the subsequent phase will cover secondary schools.
“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 recommendations to remedy the situation,” he said.
Members of the taskforce include officials from the ministries of Education, Health and Interior and National Administration. Others are agents from the Department of Public Works, Kenya Red Cross and county governments.
PS Kipsang emphasised that school administrators, managers and ministry officials found culpable of contravening the regulations will be prosecuted.
Figures from the Ministry of Edication shows that there have been 107 school fire incidents and 239 cases of unrest this year.
