Kenya Bans Morning & Evening Classes to allow Learners have Rest.

By Kioko Nyamasyo

Education CS Ezekiel Machogu during the release of 2022 KCSE results on January 20, 2023. Photo by MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ezekiel Machogu, on Monday, January 30, banned teachers from conducting early morning and evening classes for all students.

The CS decried that teachers were overburdening students leaving them with little or no time to rest.

Machogu warned schools against forcing students to report before the break of dawn or leaving school after dusk.

“With the resumption of the education calendar, the government will be vigilant on reporting time of students.

A file image of pupils of Komarock South Primary School
CITIZEN DIGITAL

“Classes should start at 8.00 am and end exactly at 3.45 pm,” the CS stated, adding that students sometimes wake up at 4 am to prepare for school.

“You will meet students walking in the streets before dawn so that they can make time for remedial classes.

“We will not allow that, and we will also take action on schools that ferry students home as late as 10.00 pm,” the CS warned.

In a rejoinder, Kenya Primary Heads Association (KEPSHA), asked the Ministry of Education to employ more teachers for the directive to be effective.

“There is an acute shortage of teachers in public primary schools, making it hard to finish the syllabus in the stipulated time.

“We request the Ministry to train and employ more teachers so that it will be possible to adhere to the released school calendar,” KEPSHA remarked.

Currently, the teacher-pupil ratio in public schools is 1:50, according to KEPSHA.

KEPSHA also thanked the Ministry of Education for addressing some of the challenges being experienced.

“We have seen that the government has released textbooks meant for teaching and if more teachers are employed, we will be able to finish teaching on time,” the association stated.

Primary school students going to school.

FILE

Banning morning preps and evening classes is part of a raft of changes CS Machogu introduced in the education sector.

Machogu, in January 2023, warned principals against sending Junior Secondary School students home over fee arrears.

“Schools shall determine the uniform for their schools which includes additional unique features for the identification and branding of their institutions.

“Uniform shall be the responsibility of parents and no school shall direct parents where to purchase the uniform or exclude students for failure to afford a school uniform,” the guidelines read in part.

JSS exams, he added, would also be formative and summative, offered in the form of School Based Assessments (SBA) national assessments supervised by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC).

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