Education CS Fred Matiangi at a past event. [PHOTO/tuko.co.ke]
Both public primary and secondary boarding schools are in panic mode over the intended crackdown by the Ministry of Education to check compliance with safety guidelines.
The ministry is preparing its field officers to start making random raids to check on the level of compliance in the institutions.
According to the Standard, some school boards have made a check list to examined their own compliance before the ministry inspectors arrive.
The ministry's decision is said to have been arrived at after the tragic fire that killed students at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi on Saturday last week.
“The inspection is good. However, the exercise should be an ongoing process because the safety standards go beyond dormitory specifications,” said Kenya Secondary School Heads Association chairman Kahi Indimuli.
“We hope it will not be a fault-finding mission. Principals should be allowed to take audit and table reports to the boards because there are financial implications to compliance,” he said.
According to the Standard, schools that have not complied with the School Standard Safety Manual will have to answer questions why they are yet to implement the guidelines.
“School boards will be put to task to explain why they have overseen flouting of the safety guidelines,” said a senior ministry of Education official.