By Enock Okong’o
School Boards of Management (BOM), have been asked to improve the infrastructure to accommodate enough learners in the ongoing 100 percent transition from primary to secondary schools.
Speaking to Education News, Kisii County Education Board Chairman Prof. Henry Onderi said that the congestion in most schools overstretched the facilities and they might degrade the education standard unless they are checked.
“Some schools are admitting double the number of students against their carrying capacity, leading to under concentration of learners and teaching strains,” he said.
He warned principals against asking parents for extra levies to satisfy the needs of students because it was outlawed by the ministry of education.
“Instead of digging deeper into the parents’ pockets, let principals encourage in-house projects like the raising of poultry and keeping dairy cows to generate extra income for their institutions,” he advised.
On the ongoing nomination of new members of BOM, Onderi asked principals and education directors to avoid choosing their relatives and friends but instead to pick people who will steer their schools to higher performance of examinations.
He asked all education directors in the county to vet the nominated members well before they are recommended to the ministry of education.
The chairman noted with concern that some principals were against some BOM members who strictly monitored management of schools and wanted to push them out of the board unfairly.
“If any members feel any unfair pressure from the principal, let the matter be reported to my office for action,” he directed.
He said that he will be visiting some schools randomly for routine supervision but asked principals not to be wary of the visits because they will be part and parcel of team work towards the betterment of education.
