Over-enrollment is cause of all evil in secondary schools, principals say.
School principals and teachers’ unions have raised concerns on the current status of secondary schools, calling for the government to effectively and timely fund the schools and further introduce equalization fund to cushion under-enrolled schools.
They observe that most of the country’s secondary schools are over-populated and over-enrolled as a result of 100 per cent transition policy from primary to secondary, more in particular boarding schools while facilities are not enough.
This has forced a good number of boarding schools resorting to the use of triple decker bed system in dormitories, while in some schools, students have been forced to share beds in a move to address the issue of increased enrolment; a situation that has caused congestion in the dormitories predisposing them to such vices like homosexuality.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu states that he is sympathizing with school principals with the current status the secondary schools are, adding that they are at a total risk as a result of 100 per cent transition.
Oyuu said the 100 per cent transition has several negative effects in institutions adding that what happened in Mukumu Girls, part of the reasons is overcrowding.
Oyuu has now challenged the departments dealing with public health in the Ministry of Health in what he says that they have forgotten their role; urging the Quality Assurance and Standard directorate in the Ministry of Education not only to focus into the infrastructure and the role of teachers in school, but should also include in public health on a better percentage.
Oyuu stated that dining Halls have been turned into dormitories. Hygiene levels in most of the schools is wanting. Quality Assurance should put much more efforts and public health as well. Our children are in pathetic condition.
Initially, over enrollment used to be a crime that is punishable and then School Inspectors, who currently are referred to us QASOs stationed at Sub-counties, used to enforce this policy in a ruthless manner which ensured that institutions lived within their means, that is admitting students within the approved capacity of the school.
John Kipkapto, Baringo KESSHA Chairperson added that the government should improve day schools by face-lifting facilities in those schools in order to attract more students and reduce pressure in boarding schools.
He revealed that despite the Sub-county QASOs being there, they are not properly funded since they have no funds and means of movement from one school to another hence hindering their effective operation, making them to shift the assessment to need by need basis.
The schools are supposed to be assessed at least once in every two years, and to follow up on implementation of their recommendations within three to six months after issuing an assessment report.
Principals are now calling for the government to introduce the threshold on the number of students to check on the strained facilities, with Principal Morris Rotich proposing that a new rule within the Education Act need to be introduced, to ensure that a minimum of 1,000 students should be admitted at any given time in a given school as a maximum number at in a year.
Currently, there are schools with even up to 15 streams per class a situation that causes unfriendly learning environment since students fight to access limited toilets, congested dormitories, laboratories, among others.
What used to be called teacher-to-student ratio is currently a mirage with most struggling with shortage of teachers.
If there is proper funding from the government, the operations in the schools will be smooth.
On the other hand, most Principals are happy to cash-in on the situation. To some, the over enrollment allows them to access more money in government capitation funds, which allows them to dip their fingers into the till.
Such principals are awash with cash as School auditors are no longer patrolling schools as the case used before; and even when they do, they easily get compromised through kickbacks from such Principals. Over enrollment is the main route cause of all evil in secondary schools.
