Nyeri's Hillside Endarasha Academy postpones reopening
What you need to know:
- The institution had earlier informed parents that it would open on Monday.
- Mr Kinyua said that all the school buildings have been repainted, symbolizing a fresh start.
Hillside Endarasha Academy will reopen next Wednesday (October 9), the government has announced.
The institution was shut down on September 5 following a dormitory fire which killed 21 boys.
Speaking during a parents' meeting held at the institution today (Thursday), Nyeri County Director of Education Jane Njogu said that a quality assurance assessment of the school showed that it was ready for resumption of classes.
The institution had earlier informed parents that it would reopen on Monday, but Ms Njogu noted that a quick spot-check around the school showed that one of the dormitory's floors was yet to dry.
"Our team has been visiting the school often and has noted that a lot of work has been done to improve the learning environment and conditions of the school. However, there is still some construction work underway which will require some days to be fully complete," she said.
She assured the school community that there was still adequate time for grade six learners to prepare for their KPSEA examinations, since they had already completed the syllabus.
In the meeting during which parents were taken on a tour of the renovated facilities, school owner David Kinyua said that the administration will shift its focus more towards day schooling for the remaining part of the term so as to ease dormitory congestion.
"To achieve this I urge parents with relatives in this area to arrange for their children to stay with them and use the school's daily transport," he said while noting that a transport schedule was already in place to ensure that pupils get to school on time.
He said that the school had renovated most of its buildings to ensure a peaceful and comfortable study environment.
A spot check round the institution showed that the institution had renovated the two buildings that would serve as its dormitories
It has converted some of its unused Junior Secondary Classes to serve as the boys' dormitory for the remaining part of the term while the girls’ dormitory has been renovated to fit the quality standards
Part of the renovations that the management made to ensure quality standards is ensuring that the doors open from the outside, windows are made of glass, that there are metallic beds, adequate spacing between the beds and introduction of a fire assembly point.
Read: ‘We tried our best to save them’: Rescuers, relatives' horrors in Hillside Endarasha fire tragedy
Mr Kinyua said that all the school buildings have been repainted, symbolizing a fresh start. Additionally, the area affected by the fire has also been fenced off.
Kieni West Deputy County Commissioner Agnes Karoki assured parents that the government is committed to supporting the school’s recovery.
As part of these efforts, she said each of the 143 parents whose sons survived the fire will receive Sh21,000 to help cover back-to-school expenses.
“Families who lost their sons have also been given Sh100,000 to assist in any expenses that they may incur in addition to sponsoring all funeral costs,” she said.
Besides this, she noted that the government through its special programmes had also donated food items including rice, beans, corn soya and other personal items to enable smooth resumption of the school.
She encouraged parents not to fear the institution, while emphasizing that the incident was an accident that is still under investigation.