By Erick Nyayiera
Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has assured Kenyans that 5,400 classrooms for learners transitioning to junior secondary schools will be ready by end of March.
Speaking after inspecting CBC classrooms at Nyawara Secondary School in Gem Sub-county, Magoha said that by September, they shall have put in place systems that would ensure an effective transition. Books and desks will also be ready by the said time.
“The government is extremely serious about these classrooms so the intention of having 5400 classrooms ready by end of March is going to be realized ahead of time,” said Magoha.
Prof. Magoha challenged the contractors working on the CBC classes country-wide to expedite the process in order to beat the deadline.
“I want to challenge the schools to push for the constructions so as to pave way for openings. I would want to know where the second complete building is going to be. I hope it will not be in Nyanza region,” said Magoha.
“By the time exams start in March, we shall have completed the first phase of the projects and it is the same contractors who will be carried to the second phase and they shall start the work towards the end of April when exams are being marked,” Magoha said further.
The CS raised concerns from Bondo Sub-county where water supply was deemed expensive, therefore raising the cost of construction of the classrooms.
“Water transport in Mageta Island in Bondo is going to be more expensive. We had set Sh788,600 to do each classroom and a lot of them are being done at the same rate but in Mageta Island, we will address it differently,” said Magoha adding that they shall quantify and table it at the headquarters for government to add more funds.
He also revealed that they have started purchasing Grade Six books and expects the distributions of the said books to be in schools by end of March after which they will start working on Grade Seven books.
Prof. Magoha was accompanied by Siaya County Director for Education Nelson Sifuna and Siaya County Commissioner Mohammed Bareh.
He said that teachers would handle the transiting of students, arguing that despite complains of teachers’ shortages, they have been able to deliver by preparing students who pass and transit to university.
The CS said the government was committed to training more teachers and that it had already trained 230,000 on CBC.
“At the training institutions, we have taken the first batch of diploma teachers and will continue to convert the available teachers,” he added.
On cases of arson in schools, Magoha asked students not happy with schools to request permission to go home instead of torching school property.
“We can now see that the situations in the schools are stabilized. There are few tensions in schools but the message is that those still unruly should be excused to go home and trouble their parents. However, the schools will embrace them back if they wish to come back,” he said.
