Crisis looms as schools to reopen amid floods, interns strike threat

Women wade through a flooded section of Makunda Primary School in Budalangi. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Schools reopen for second term this week amid raging floods in various parts of the country and threats by intern teachers to disrupt resumption of studies. 

The Transport ministry has also maintained that it will enforce a directive requiring only school buses and vans that will have undergone inspection to ferry learners.

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen instructed all school buses to undergo mandatory inspection at the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) yards.

And on Friday, NTSA Director General George Njao advised schools to ensure all their buses are inspected before the institutions reopen.

“Let the responsibility be on school heads to ensure they have complied as well as Parents Teachers Associations and Board of Governors for continued compliance, including driver refresher training,” Njao said.

He was speaking at a workshop with transport stakeholders on NTSA (Operation of Commercial Service Vehicles) Regulations, 2024 and Draft Traffic School Transport Rules, 2024.

Njao said inspection of the vehicles will guarantee learners’ safety.

“We ask parents to urgently prepare well in advance for the safe transportation of our children from home to school especially now that the rains are with us,” he said.

However, what is more worrying is the heavy rains pounding the country leaving a trail of destruction that has also affected schools.

Even though Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said that school opening dates will remain as scheduled, teachers argue that the floods may necessitate a delay.

Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Deputy Secretary General Moses Nthurima said floods have ravaged schools with some submerged in water, adding others have been turned into makeshift shelters for displaced families.

“Thousands of families in virtually every region of the country have been displaced by the floods. Food stocks and public works, including roads, sewer lines and education institutions, have been destroyed by the floods. As the rains continue, there are increased risks of landslides and waterborne diseases in many parts of the country,” Nthurima said.

The Ministry of Education has already issued a directive to regional directors to conduct assessment of schools’ status ahead of the reopening of the institutions.

The data is expected to have been compiled and sent to Jogoo House by tomorrow.

But even as ministry top officials wait for the report, the Kenya Meteorological Department director Dr David Gikungu issued an advisory warning of heavy rains and high water levels in rivers, lakes and dams, posing further risks to communities.

Travel disruptions have already occurred, with road closures and alternative routes advised, albeit at greater expense. And this also threatens safety of learners during schools reopening.

 “The water level in rivers, lakes and dams are expected to remain high. Strong winds may blow off roofs, uproot trees and cause structural damages, large waves may damage marine activities,” Gikungu said.

“Residents in all the mentioned areas are advised to be on the lookout for potential floods, flash floods and poor visibility. They are advised not to drive through, or walk in moving water or open area,” he said.

With the threat of landslides and waterborne diseases looming large, the safety of learners is a paramount concern.

Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association National Executive Council member Lucy Wathika also urged the government to prioritise the safety of affected families and consider postponing the reopening of schools.

“Some of our schools have submerged in water which means the infrastructure in the institutions are not able to serve our students. There are high chances of them contracting water borne diseases,” Wathika said.

“The Ministry of Education should consider postponing the opening of schools to a later date. Some bridges have been washed away while rivers are swollen to dangerous levels, some schools are sheltering displaced residents,” she said.

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa said parents are a worried about safety of learners during schools opening.

He said many children cross rivers that are already flooded while reporting to schools.

“Head teachers should inspect schools ahead of reopening to ascertain their safety before we allow our children back,” he said.

The other factor that is brewing a crisis is a strike threat by 46,000 intern teachers which threatens to disrupt learning in public schools.

Junior Secondary Schools intern teachers spokesperson Boniface Omari on Saturday said the tutors wold not report on duty on Monday.

“Any teacher who will report to school on Monday in terms of internship shall be deemed to have violated the court ruling. The Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education leadership is at liberty to call JSS teachers to negotiate the pnp (permanent and negotiable) confirmation process in compliance with the court ruling,” said Omari.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court ruled that the implementation of internships for qualified and registered teachers to be illegal, prompting the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to appeal for a stay order.

“We are going to paralyse learning in all the JSS institutions across the county beginning April 29 and no teacher is going to report to school going forward as the court has termed our contract with the Teachers Service Commission illegal,” Patience Nkatha, group treasurer said.

“We will launch protests against the internships and we want to tell all parents that if you send your children to school, they will not be attended to,” Nkatha said.

She said the protests have received approval in several regions of the country, with law enforcement instructed to maintain order.

Nthurima also criticised the government for sending learners back to school without adequate financial support, pointing out the shortfall in capitation funds.

“By end of first term this year, schools had received only Sh7,800 instead of Sh11,122 per learner leaving a big gap in what the government owe schools,” he said.

“Most schools closed a week earlier due to huge pending bills including salaries to support staff, Board of Management teachers, learning materials, laboratory chemicals, and extracurricular activities,” he added.