The inspection carried out in phases found that 348 schools were deemed non-compliant.
The Ministry of Education has put 348 boarding schools on the spot. This follows a nationwide mandatory inspection exercise targeting all schools across the country in the wake of rampant school fires recently reported.
On Wednesday, September 11, Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba revealed that the Ministry of Education has over the years consistently put in place policy measures and guidelines aimed at ensuring that all public and private boarding schools adopt safety standards that provide a conducive environment for learners.
One of the key policy documents in place is the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya which provides a blueprint that he says must be adhered to by all public and private schools to ensure learner safety.
“The manual, enforced by the Ministry of Education and relevant agencies, has so far served as an important guide in providing safe spaces for learners countrywide. The Safety Standards manual is available at the Ministry’s website: www.education.go.ke
Administration block at Hillside Endarasha Academy. /PHOTO
“Although the provisions of the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya have been adhered to by most schools, a few institutions have flouted the guidelines leading to most unfortunate and regrettable accidents that have, at times, cost innocent lives, caused injuries and led to loss of property,” Ogamba left nothing to chance in his statement.
Citing the recent incident at Hillside Endarasha Academy, Nyeri Country, in which 21 innocent learners lost their lives as a result of a fire tragedy, Ogamba underscored the need for the Government and school managers to firmly enforce school safety guidelines at all times to avert a recurrence of similar cases going forward.
“It has, therefore, become necessary for the Ministry of Education, jointly with relevant agencies, to conduct an urgent countrywide inspection of all public and private basic learning institutions to assess their levels of compliance with the guidelines of the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya,” he directed.
The inspection carried out in phases found that 348 schools were deemed non-compliant. As a result, they will be converted to day schools starting January 2025.
“Following the tragic fire at Hill Side Endarasha Academy in which we sadly lost 21 lives, the Ministry conducted comprehensive safety audits of boarding schools. As a result: 348 schools deemed non-compliant during assessment will only operate as day schools from January 2025,” the CS announced in a statement on Friday, November 22.
Furthermore, the Ministry revealed that major concerns pointed out during the exercise include dormitory safety, sanitation, fire equipment maintenance, and overall learner welfare.
The statement also detailed the status of the just-completed 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination where out of the 965,501 candidates who were sitting the examinations, 28 candidates undertook examinations in various hospitals.
He said that 621 candidates from across 198 examinations were found engaging in examination malpractice cases, including unauthorised written materials, mobile phones, collusion, sharing images of their question papers on social media, and impersonation. In these cases, investigations are underway, with stern action expected to be taken on individuals found culpable of exam malpractice to ensure that they uphold the sanctity of examination.
The CS further revealed that the marking of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) has been completed with the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) embarking on developing a relevant report for sharing with schools and learners in January 2025.
A photo of students undertaking KCSE exams. /KENYA NEWS AGENCY