Post: Government embarks on assessment of boarding schools to ensure security of learners

A team of Ministry of Education officials from Western Kenya region is assessing safety and security in all 198 boarding primary schools in the Western region.Regional Director of Education Jared Obiero says the Government is committed to ensuring the safety and overall welfare of learners is enhanced.Speaking to KNA on Wednesday, Mr. Obiero said the team that includes Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASO's) are assessing both the safety and health standards in those schools to ensure they conform to the Ministry of Education's safety standards manual for schools.He said assessment is being done in all public and private boarding primary schools before the exercise is undertaken in secondary schools across the four counties of Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga and Bungoma.The regional director said in Kakamega County, the exercise is being carried out in 70 boarding primary schools, 36 being public and 34 being private.He added that in Bungoma 63 boarding primary schools are being assessed, with 28 being public and 18 private, while Busia County has 46 schools, with 28 being public and 18 being private.'In Vihiga, we are assessing a total of 19 schools, 10 being public while 9 being private boarding primary schools' he added.The move to enhance safety in boarding schools comes in the background of a fire incident at Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County where 21 boys lost their lives in a fire incident.The safety standards manual for schools has prescribed the threshold for the safety and security standards for schools that school's administration must adhere to.Source: Kenya News Agency