Changamwe sub-county education quality assurance officer Sylvester Wauye. [Photo/Maxwell Ngala]
The Ministry of Education has said it will shut down all unregistered private schools within Mombasa County.Officials from the ministry have further warned that they will close down all unregistered community schools in the county.Speaking at Jomvu area in Mombasa, Changamwe sub-county education quality assurance officer Sylvester Wauye said the unregistered schools were contributing to poor standards of education in the county, a situation which he said will not be tolerated.He said all schools operating in the county must be registered and issued with certificates of registration from the ministry.Wauye said the schools must be fully registered and an inspection certificate issued to the school management regardless of whether they are kindergarten, primary or secondary schools.“We understand that we all play a vital role in providing quality education to the Kenyan child but our colleagues in the private and community sector should provide quality education and in a conducive environment for children to learn,” he said.Wauye revealed that the department’s officers were already on the ground inspecting all private and community schools to ensure that they are fully registered and operating in a conducive environment.“We will not allow private schools to operate between two pubs or bars. We will immediately shut down such premises and question the proprietor of the learning institution,” he added.According to Wauye, some of the private schools are located in premises that lack playing grounds forcing pupils to conduct their activities like tenants in a rental house.He said that quality education will only be provided in a good environment where children can learn and play in the field.The move was fully supported by Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training (APBET) secretary general Juma Athuman Lubambo who said unregistered schools negatively affect the education sector in the county.Juma said community and private schools proprietors must adhere to the rules so that they do not deny pupils education after their schools are shut down. Is there a newsworthy accident, incident or event happening in Mombasa County that you want Hivisasa to cover? Tell us what is happening by joining this group and have it published. http://bit.ly/2BipYa6