Education

2,000 schools to remain closed due to floodings

Deputy Government Spokesperson Mwanaisha Chidzuga joins Private Sector Flood Response Initiative team in distributing food and non-food items to over 400 households affected by floods in Mathare on May 8, 2024. (Photo: KEPSA KENYA)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Monday, May 13, 2024

According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Mwanaisha Chidzuga, some schools were particularly hard-hit by the torrential rains and floods.

At least 2,000 schools across the country will remain closed as learners reopen for term two today.

According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Mwanaisha Chidzuga, some schools were particularly hard-hit by the torrential rains and floods.

Chidzuga added that students will resume studies in schools that are accessible but those that are inaccessible and have their infrastructure destroyed will be closed until they are assessed further.

Keep reading

However, the students in the affected schools will be transferred to nearby schools to ensure that they continue learning.

"This doesn't mean that the students will not continue with their learning. As a government, we have put in place strategies to ensure that children can receive the education they deserve," Chidzuga explained.

As an alternative, the Deputy Government Spokesperson also assured that the government was planning to put up tents to serve as temporary classrooms.

Chidzuga also added that the State was considering adopting e-learning for the affected students and extending the second term to account for the delayed opening of schools.

"If it is necessary, we will extend this term so that the syllabus is completed in an organised educational structure," Chidzuga added.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu inspects the readiness of Karen C Secondary School in South C, Nairobi, on Thursday, May 9, 2024, ahead of schools reopening on May 13, 2024. (Photo: EduMin)

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu also hinted at extending Term Two school dates to cover time lost due to floods.

"Particularly for Form Four candidates, we will see how we can recover time lost by extending the second term by a few days. They were expected to close for three weeks in August and we might minimise the number of days schools will be closed," the minister said during a briefing on Thursday last week.

However, a day later, on Friday, his Principal Secretary (PS), Dr. Belio Kipsang, countered, stating that he was confident in teachers adequately covering the syllabus without extending the second term.

“By the time our children are sitting for assessments and examinations at the end of the year, we shall have made sure that we have covered the necessary syllabus and content that is expected of us as teachers,” PS Kipsang stated on Friday.

Nonetheless, CS Machogu stated that 95 per cent of schools were ready to resume for the second term, but the situation in some learning institutions in seven counties was being explored to ensure children's safety.

The Ministry of Education further directed principals to adhere to regulations on the transportation of students, with borders expected to travel back to school between 6 am and 6 pm.

Principals were also ordered to admit learners reporting without uniforms and school fees, especially those affected by floods.

Since March of this year, flash floods have claimed over 200 lives and displaced more than 200,000 people across 42,000 households, especially in Nairobi.