School heads and Teachers’ Unions have rejected the proposals by the Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang to close down institutions with low enrolment.
They said most of these schools are community and constituency-based, hence shutting them down would mean denying the children right to access basic education especially those in areas where pastoralism is widely practiced.
Speaking to our reporter, Tobias Ogallo, the school principal of Magwar secondary school in Kisumu County said the policy will be difficult to implement given that the institutions were meant to empower children from poor families.
“This is a contradiction to Education Act which states that all children have the right to education,” said Ogallo.
Paul Roche , the school head of St Peter’s secondary school in Kisumu County said schools should be given a period of five years before the policy can be implemented.
“This is not a one day event. The ministry of education should try as much as possible not to register new schools without carrying out a feasibility study, accessibility and viability of coming up with such new institutions that would be shut in the near future,” he added.
“What will happen to schools that were started as centres for excellence under the economic stimulus programme in 2010? This will be a waste of resources should these schools be closed down?” said Roche.
Speaking during a meeting chaired by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers in Seme sub-county on Tuesday, Kuppet chairman Zablon Awange said the education ministry should come up with a clear framework to guide the new rules they have come up with before implementing.
“If we are expanding Universities to allow access for higher education, why not primary and secondary schools,” said Awange.