The Ministry of Education is set to construct 365 new classrooms in secondary schools in Migori County to cater for the high number of students expected to transit to junior secondary school under the new Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) system.
Speaking at Nyabisawa Girls High School in Suna West Sub County in Migori County, County Commissioner, Mr Michael Mwangi Meru, announced that some 237 schools across the eight sub counties will benefit from the Sh8billion National Programme by April next year.
Meru explained that the distribution of those classrooms in the area were allocated as per the needs of each school, adding that some of the highest beneficiaries would have six new classrooms constructed in their compounds while the least would have one.
The administrator who was with County Director of Education, Mr Jacob Onyiego, said that the move to set up new infrastructure in readiness for the junior secondary students was a national economic programme meant to ensure smooth transition to the new CBC education system.
The meeting brought together various stakeholders from the Ministry of Interior, procurement, finance, education and all secondary school heads within Migori County.
The official said that better coordination through a multi-agency team was key in delivering the new infrastructural development in schools in time to ensure that students have a conducive learning environment.
“Every stakeholder will be addressed so that each have their own set roles and functions to ensure that the goals of building these classrooms is achieved,” said Meru.
He asked the Deputy County Commissioners (DCC) who will be the chairmen of the implementing committees in their respective jurisdictions to work hard towards the delivery of the classrooms and ensure that they gave out daily evidenced reporting to ensure good evaluation and monitoring of the same.
Meru also said that the classrooms will be built within four months from the time the contractor acquired the contract, saying that by April 2022 all 365 classrooms will have been completed.
“We are calling all the stakeholders to ensure that government value for money is guaranteed to ensure quality. The classroom should be of good standards to accomplish the intended targets and objectives,” noted Meru.
The 365 new classrooms will be built both at the secondary and primary schools that were identified as beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the meeting also discussed security matters in local Secondary Schools where concerns were raised about the rising school unrests in the region
County Director of Education, Mr Onyiego, announced that this term alone, three dormitories in Nyatike, Suna West and Migori had been burnt down allegedly by students compared to one last term.
However, he also acknowledged that stakeholders in Migori were able to quickly move in to action and save a dormitory that was earmarked for torching by students.
Another school in Rongo Sub County had its students walk out of compound demanding that the principal be transferred. He said that the students might have been incited but investigations were under way.
Onyiego said that in Nyanza region, Kisii and Migori Counties had the highest cases of insecurity and students unrest.
The officer encouraged the secondary school heads to read and understand the shared circular dated February this year from the Ministry of Education which talks about the safety and security of boarding schools.
Consequently, the meeting proposed some resolution to reduce student unrest and general insecurity in local schools. Among the resolutions were, to make the students feel that they own their institutions.
A Chaplain should be introduced to instill Christian morals and having support from all stakeholders, students to be prepared well for exams and given early notice on the same, media stop airing stories of school unrest and, above all, introducing entertainment sessions that are popular to students.
By George Agimba
