Schools to get Sh1.6bn in readiness for reopening

Form Four students at Othaya Girls High School in Nyeri studying on January 13, 2020. Schools  will get Sh1.6bn in readiness for reopening.

What you need to know:

  • The cash will be used to set up additional classrooms, ablution blocks and labs, according to Education Chief Administrative Secretary Zack Kinuthia.
  • In public schools, 26 girls share a toilet. For boys, about 30 share a toilet, yet most of these facilities do not meet criteria for accessibility, quality or acceptability.

The government plans to pump up to Sh1.6 billion into public schools in the next two months ahead of their scheduled reopening in January.

The cash will be used to set up additional classrooms, ablution blocks and labs, according to Education Chief Administrative Secretary Zack Kinuthia.

The project is being implemented through the secondary education quality improvement programme (SEQUIP) sponsored by the World Bank.

 “Through SEQUIP, we have set aside Sh1.6 billion to construct ablution blocks, laboratories, classrooms and any other facility that is required by the 30 targeted counties,” said Mr Kinuthia.

The programme, which began in 2017 and is projected to cost Sh8.2 billion in six years, will benefit schools that are ‘educationally and economically disadvantaged’.

Low retention rate

It targets 7,852 public primary and 2,147 public secondary schools, which were identified based on high incidence of poverty and low retention rate. They also looked at the number of primary schools and low transition rate to secondary institutions.

Many public primary schools are in poor condition, with some lacking electricity. A report by the World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund released on August 13 revealed that most schools have poor infrastructure, particularly toilets.

In public schools, 26 girls share a toilet. For boys, about 30 share a toilet, yet most of these facilities do not meet criteria for accessibility, quality or acceptability.

 “There was also considerable variation in the absolute number of students per toilet in both primary schools and secondary schools,” says the report.

The government has since allocated Sh6.5 billion to hire more teachers and improve school infrastructure to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic.

Buy 257,000 desks

The ministry also plans to buy 257,000 desks and ensure all institutions are connected to clean water by the end of October. The desks will ensure social distancing is observed in classes.

In the ministry’s new guidelines, headteachers will ensure adequate clean, running water and sanitation facilities in their institutions and procure tanks where applicable. They are also required to develop the protocols on hygiene and social distancing measures before reopening.

Meanwhile, teachers who are yet to register for the community-based learning (CBL) programme will not have their salaries withheld, CS George Magoha has said, dismissing earlier reports attributed to Mr Kinuthia.

Prof Magoha said teachers’ participation in the programme is not tied to their salaries. “The ministry wishes to clarify media reports to the effect that teachers who have yet to enroll for the programme will be denied their monthly salaries,” he said in a press statement on Sunday.

The ministry has prepared notes for teachers, based on the competency-based curriculum skills. The document suggests learning activities that pupils will be involved in, which are organised in thematic areas.

Formal examination

 “There shall be no formal examination given to the learners during this programme. This is so that learners can concentrate more on acquisition of skills rather than preparing for examinations,” the programme notes.

The CBL programme gives guidance on its implementation by suggesting the formation of committees at the county, sub-county and zonal levels.

The county committee will consist of the commissioner, education CEC, director of education, TSC director, quality assurance officer and the Ministry of Health officer.

It will monitor the implementation of CBL, receive weekly reports from the sub-counties and submit the same to MoE. At the grassroots, chiefs will ensure all learners participate in the programme.

Learning will take place in schools, churches, social halls and open spaces “within comfortable walking distance for the learners.” The recommended class size is 15 to 20 learners who should strictly observe MoH guidelines and protocols.