Gov’t Directs Schools to Admit Flood-Affected Students Without Conditions
Schools across the country have been instructed to admit learners affected by floods without conditions.
Schools reopened for the second term on May 13 following two postponements due to floods that have ravaged the country since last month.
At Iftin Primary School in Garissa, Masini Ichwara, Director of Planning at the State Department for Basic Education, led a tree planting exercise and communicated that all head teachers nationwide are under instructions to accommodate IDP students in nearby schools until the situation normalizes.
He mentioned that learners should come to school with uniforms from their previous schools and start learning immediately.
Ichwara emphasized that the floods have affected parents, making it difficult for them to afford new uniforms, and thus schools should bear with the situation temporarily.
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The Ministry of Education is doing everything possible to have all children return to their respective schools. The emergency fund promised by President William Ruto will aid learning institutions affected by the floods.
Ichwara urged school heads to enroll learners in the NEMIS system, enabling the provision of capitation to all eligible pupils.
He urged local authorities, particularly chiefs and birth and death registration offices, to work closely with schools and parents to issue birth certificates to the children.
The government’s commitment to providing capitation for every child necessitates their inclusion in the system.
Ichwara also called on parents’ organizations and well-wishers to support the school feeding program, noting that government resources are limited. Parents should contribute food in kind to benefit the children and ensure uninterrupted studies.
Floods severely affected Hyuga Girls and Bula Argi Primary Schools in Garissa Township, forcing them to remain closed and temporarily transfer students to nearby Madarasa schools.
Several schools, including Young Muslim High School, Jaribu Primary, Kazuko Primary School, and NEP Technical College, initially hosted IDPs but have since relocated them to allow learning to continue.
Garissa has the largest number of IDPs, totaling 21,770 across 12 camps, including displaced students.
On the issue of teacher shortages, Ichwara stated that the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) is working to address the problem and called for patience from all stakeholders.
Adan Roble, North Eastern Regional Director of Education, confirmed that all schools in the region are open and learning is ongoing, except for two schools, one in Garissa and another in the Bura subcounty, still submerged in flood waters. Affected children have been relocated to nearby schools temporarily.
In Wajir and Mandera, no schools have been affected by floods. Siyat Hussein Noor, Head Teacher at Iftin Primary, acknowledged the challenges of acquiring birth certificates, impacting school funding as many students are not captured in NEMIS.
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As Kepsha Chairman of Garissa County, he assured coordination with stakeholders to ensure children receive birth certificates.
Noor noted that the school feeding program remains a challenge as it is crucial for attracting students to school. He expressed optimism that the situation would improve by the following week.
Gov’t Directs Schools to Admit Flood-Affected Students Without Conditions
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