A teachers union has backed the directive for more day schools and is lobbying for the scrapping of boarding wings in sub-county schools.
The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has welcomed the proposal by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu to introduce day wings in boarding schools.
Kuppet is, at the same time, proposing that the government should undertake phased scrapping of boarding sections in sub-county schools to enable them to take in a majority of learners from the locality.
The proposal by Kuppet, if allowed, will see boarding sections retained in extra-county and national schools only.
Sub-county schools are the lowest cadre of secondary schools that admit students from the immediate locality (hosting district). Day schools and former provincial schools with a day wing fall under this category.
The top tier schools are national, extra-county and county schools. There are 112 national schools, 776 extra-county, 1,301 county and 6,297 sub-county schools.
Kuppet Executive Secretary Sabala Inyeni said the proposals by Mr Machogu and the union are in line with the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) that encourages parental involvement in the raising of the child.
When he launched the placement of 2022 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates to Form One on Monday, Mr Machogu said there is a need for boarding schools to start day wings “to enhance access and cut down on costs of education”.
Mr Machogu said about 70 per cent of students are day scholars, a clear indication that more effort should be directed towards developing day schools.
“I encourage boarding schools to introduce day wings to enhance access and cut down costs of education. This is also in line with CBC for parental engagement in the delivery of curriculum,” Mr Machogu said on Monday.
The minister observed that 72 per cent of “our schools are day schools and only 28 per cent are boarding schools”.
He was, however, quick to point out that the government is not abolishing boarding schools. Mr Machogu said that, with the 100 per cent transition policy, there is a need to expand and get better facilities for day schools so as to accommodate more students.
And, speaking yesterday, Mr Inyeni said Kuppet is in agreement with the proposal by the CS, noting that the introduction of day wings in boarding schools is very much in order.
“The new curriculum is structured in such a way that a parent has a bigger role to play in the development of a child. Parental involvement has been left to the teachers,” said Mr Inyeni.
He went on: “Introduction of day wings will make parents keep in touch with the child. Some parents don’t show up in schools during visiting days.”
“Some just send pocket money yet the child wants to see and speak to the parent. Children who miss this stage of parental involvement develop unbecoming behaviour leading to indiscipline and cases such as the burning of dormitories,” he added.
The Kuppet official further said that the teaching profession is now being localised following the decision to undo the delocalisation policy.
“Parents leave children to the teachers. We would wish that boarding schools be phased out starting with primary schools then the sub-county schools, save for extra-county and national schools,” said Mr Inyeni.
He noted that day wings will encourage political support towards infrastructure development and issuance of bursaries as students from the same area will take up chances in institutions within their localities.
On Monday, Mr Machogu said nomadic pastoralists are encouraged to take their children to boarding schools because of their lifestyle of moving from one place to another.
