Education CS Fred Matiang’i bans admission of students from schools closed over riots

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i said students who have burnt their school should either learn under trees or rebuilt it." (Photo: File/Standard)

Nairobi: Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has directed school heads not to admit learners transferring from schools destroyed due to unrest.

The CS said that all students seeking transfers must obtain clearance letters from sub-county director of education to ascertain that they did not participate in the destruction of their schools.

Dr Matiang'i said students "who have burnt their school should either learn under trees or rebuilt it."

He said the parents will have to fund the repair of schools destroyed by their children since he "would not spend the Ministry of Education resources to repair destroyed schools."

"I want to insist to all head teachers not to admit transferring students without the clearance letter from the sub-county director of education to confirm that your child has not been burning schools and you are moving him to continue burning more schools," he said.

He added, "I want us to adopt restrict policies on the transferring of students. So if students engage in destructive behavior they stay in that school and repair it with their parents."

He said, "Don't admit a student from Itierio and if they come they must come with a letter with the sub-county director."

Matiang'i spoke Monday at a consultative meeting with education stakeholders shortly before he left for Itierio Boys High School in Kisii and Tengecha Boys High School in Kericho.

Learners at Itierio on Saturday night burnt seven dormitories. It is reported that the students went on the rampage after they were denied a chance to watch the ongoing European Football tournament.

The students also raided the principal's office, the school canteen as well as a laboratory at the neighbouring Itierio Girls School where they left a trail of destruction.

The CS described the trend as disturbing, stating that "there is no grievance enough to warrant such kind of wanton destruction and unprecedented violence."

Extension of second term

Matiang'i noted that unrests have become a cultural issue in schools during second term.

He, however, dismissed attribution by teachers that the wave on of destruction was as result of extension of second term.

He said Itierio students had just resumed from a half-term break, therefore the strike could not have been occasioned by the change in the term dates.

He urged parents to teach their children to be responsible people, adding that unrest by students was partly because of the "low societal threshold on immorality".