Education Ministry warns schools forcing pupils to report before 8 am face disciplinary action
Ogamba admitted that some schools were breaching ministry rules by requiring pupils to report too early, reiterating that official learning hours are from 8:00am to 3:00pm.
Schools across the country have been warned against breaching official learning hours, with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba cautioning that institutions requiring pupils to report before 8:00 am will face disciplinary action.
The warning follows concerns by Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya, who highlighted the risks faced by children forced to leave home as early as 4:30 am—especially in regions grappling with high cases of defilement.
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“I come from Kisii, where we have high rates of defilement. These children are on the road by 4:30 am. There is no electricity, and we have so many bushes, meaning we have given our girls to the world. At 4:30 am, are they studying for PhDs?” she said.
Donya urged CS Ogamba to issue a firm circular reinforcing official school reporting hours to ensure pupils do not leave home before 6:00 am.
“When they report to school and don’t honour the circular, then something must be done to those schools. The way it has been before, when they were told schools must have yellow buses and everything was in order,” she said.
“The CS must act; he must be tough. In fact, next week I’m going to Kisii, if I bring more photos of children going to school, something has to be done from Waziri’s office. It is not a walk in the park; it is very bad for our young girls who have to go to school at 4:30 am. Are they doing master's?”
Violating ministry regulations
Responding to the concerns, Ogamba acknowledged that some schools were violating ministry regulations by requiring pupils to report too early. He reaffirmed that official learning hours run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.
“We have a regulation policy, school begins at 8:00 am and closes at 3:00 pm for classes. These are the official hours set by the ministry, and circulars have been issued to that effect. Any institution operating outside these hours is acting against ministry guidelines,” Ogamba said.
He added that disciplinary measures will be taken on a case-by-case basis against schools found picking up pupils too early.
“We, as the ministry, undertake to work with all other government agencies to ensure that the circular on school hours is enforced. Serious administrative action will be taken against any institution that violates it so that we can restore order in our schools with respect to learning time,” he said.
The issue has also drawn concern from Transport and Roads Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who, while speaking in Kisii County on September 12, said early travel exposes children to grave danger.
“In some instances, children are being defiled on their way to school. Some schools require children to be in school by 6:00 am, and you find them leaving their homes around 4:00 am or 5:00 am. This is unacceptable and against the rules that govern our education system,” Murkomen said.
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