Schools close amid anti-State protests

National Parents Association National Chairman Silas David Obuhatsa. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Schools are expected to begin closing this week for the August holiday marking an end to the troubled second term.

The term experienced disruption due to the on-and-off anti-government protest wave in various parts of the country spearheaded by Generation Z demanding accountability and better governance.

The August break has renewed fears and concerns that students might be caught in the demonstrations or even influenced to participate.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa called on parents to be cautious during this period.

“We are going for the holidays at a very delicate time and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that the children are safe not just from the protest but also drugs, bad company, and even crime,” he said.

Adolescent psychologist and mental health expert, Julian Amimo highlighted the challenges posed by long holidays, especially in the context of ongoing protests.

She emphasised that extended periods of social mixing without parental supervision could lead to destructive activities despite the potential for peer learning.

“The current technological overload can tempt learners to deviate from constructive activities when out of parents’ sight, jeopardising their academic growth,” Amimo noted.

During the mid-term holiday, two youths were reportedly shot by the police, and 15 minors were among over 100 suspects arraigned in Naivasha Court for vandalising and looting.

These incidents underscore the fears parents have about the potential for their children to get caught up in such events.

Mary Kavindiu, a parent in Kibra, is concerned that schools serve as a safe haven compared to when children are at home, especially during these volatile times.

“We feel settled when our children are in school as opposed to when schools are closed, especially at this time,” Kavindiu said.

Anthony Ndung’u, another teacher, emphasised that during holiday breaks, learners should be engaged with more assignments, pointing out that leaving children home alone is risky.

James Kisia called on parents to take responsibility, criticising those who prefer to delegate this role to teachers.

Paul Wanjohi, Secretary of Alternative Providers of Education Trainers (Apbet), highlighted the challenges faced by students from slum areas during long stays at home.

“What most parents are talking about is what to do with children over the three weeks’ holiday. Children are back home when the country is experiencing a lot of unrest,” he said.

He emphasised the need for a home-grown solution that includes teaching life skills, career guidance, and the value of work.

“These children must be engaged positively because they will be idle and it is a bad mixture that must be monitored,” he said.

The August holiday will span three weeks, officially beginning from August 2 to August 25.

This will give way to the last term of the 2024 academic calendar, set to run for nine weeks from August 26 to October 25, paving the way for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) examinations from October 28-31.

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams will run from November 4 to November 22, amid the long December holiday that will span from October 28 to January 3, 2025.

Capitation funds

Ahead of the third term, school heads are also raising concerns over the perennial underfunding.

Kenya Primary School Heads Association chairman, Johnson Nzioka, revealed that this year, the government has only funded primary schools for the first term, even though schools have only a month remaining until the end of the second term.

“This means the institutions have not received funding for the second term even as they prepare to close for the August holiday in less than a month,” Nzioka said.

The government in June disbursed Sh36 billion in capitation funds for the second term of this academic year, as schools prepared to proceed for a three-day mid-term break.

The bulk of the funds, Sh19 billion, went to secondary schools under the free day secondary education programme.