School heads in Nyeri County will have to account for all learners who, owing to various reasons have not reported back to schools.
Elaborate tracking systems have been put in place to ensure that learners who are yet to report back are traced and their parents taken to task to explain the reasons behind their absenteeism.
Area County Commissioner Lyford Kibaara says school heads have been directed to compile a comprehensive report on the number of learners yet to report following the re-opening of schools and forward it to their respective Deputy County Commissioners who will in turn activate tracing mechanism and ensure that the missing learners are brought back to schools.
The administrator said an inter-county tracing mechanism was also in place to assist in accounting for students in boarding schools who hail from other counties.
Kibaara said although the county had recorded a 99 per cent success rate in the number of learners who had reported back following the government directive, the remaining one per cent must be accounted for.
He told school heads that speculative reasons being advanced to explain the failure by the one per cent missing will not be tolerated.
“Just telling us that you have received reports that some of the students got pregnant, transferred to other schools or are ill will not be acceptable. Provide that data to national government administration officers to enable us track and bring them back to school,” stressed Kibaara.
Added the senior officer, “the government ordered the resumption of learning in schools following a hiatus of almost one year occasioned by the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and we are determined to ensure that nothing impacts negatively to the realization of full resumption of learning activities.”
Kibaara who was speaking after a tour of several schools to assess their status in ensuring that health protocols to curb spread of Covid-19 are in place said the government will continue to assist schools that may be facing difficulties in meeting the stringent requirements put up by the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of the disease.
He however challenged school heads to be innovative and seek ways to decongest schools like erecting tents to supplement the existing classrooms and conversion of halls into boarding facilities.
By Kiamah Wamutitu
