CS Magoha Starts Process of Shutting Down Schools With Low Enrollment

Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha on Monday, July 12, declared that schools with few learners will be closed down.

The CS was speaking at the South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) Wote campus where he explained that some schools were receiving government funding but had low enrollment which is a waste of resources.

Magoha told journalists that there are some schools with as low as 12 students across all the classes adding that this also raised the issue of ghost learning institutions in the country

The CS vowed to end the issue of ghost schools stating that the ministry will take charge of the registration of schools to curb the vice.

“We have taken back the authority to register schools from field officers because you find them registering schools with 12 or nine children,” Magoha was quoted by KBC.

Kennedy Buhere the Head of Communications, in the Ministry of Education, also confirmed the changes and explained that schools with fewer students will be consolidated after consultations with stakeholders.

He noted that County Educational Directors will have to provide the data on schools before the learners are moved to join other institutions.

However, Buhere stated that the move will be done seamlessly to avoid disrupting students who just went back to school after a very long stay at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The process will be done smoothly with learners being given the priority so that we don’t disrupt them,” he stated.

Officials from the Ministry of Education on May 20, closed down 30 schools in Nakuru County for failing to comply with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) regulations.

Nakuru West Deputy County Commissioner Michael Lesimam noted that the crackdown was targeting rogue schools which did not comply with the directives stipulated by the Ministry.

Lesimam faulted the closed schools for having substandard building structures. He pointed out an incident in September 2019 where a classroom collapsed in Precious Talent school. The accident led to the demise of seven students.

Further, he blamed the schools for not registering with the Ministry consequently lacking the necessary requirements needed for the schools to transition to the CBC.