Government in a spot over failure to enforce safety rules in schools

Parents gather outside Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County after a fire incident claimed the lives of 18 learners on Sept 6, 2024. [Amos Kiarie, Standard]

The government is under scrutiny following the deaths of 17 learners at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, as it has emerged that safety guidelines to protect the minors were not enforced.

Despite the formation of numerous task forces and the generation of various reports on school safety, field officers have consistently failed to ensure compliance over the years.

Moreover, although numerous guidelines have been released and circulated to schools, ongoing tragedies continue to claim lives highlighting the government's inaction.

Senior ministry officials have repeatedly offered explanations and strong rhetoric after each fire tragedy, but tangible action in the affected institutions has been minimal.

Reports reveal that the school dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy, which housed 156 learners and was partially constructed of wood, blatantly defied ministry guidelines on dormitory construction in boarding schools.

According to registration requirements, buildings must be permanent and constructed of stone and concrete.

Sources told the Saturday Standard that the wooden walls, combined with mattresses, fueled the fire that led to multiple deaths.

A major concern is that, despite numerous reports over the years revealing the unsafe conditions in Kenyan schools, little has changed.

Inspection of schools

On Friday, the National Parents Association criticized government officials for neglecting their responsibilities. National Chairman Silas Obuhatsa called on the Ministry of Education to address the issue of officers failing in their duties.

“As we mourn, we urge the government to reintroduce the inspectorate department for schools to restore safety for our children. We must prioritize our children’s lives above all else,” Obuhatsa said. “Inspection of schools must resume to bring some sanity to our boarding schools.”

Obuhatsa also emphasized the need for schools to adhere to safety policies outlined in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya (2008).

“This document provides guidelines for the safety of learners and all school community members. The government directive prohibits window grills and requires that students not be locked in dormitories to ensure they can escape during a fire outbreak,” he explained.

Additionally, he urged the government to enforce the directive requiring staff to attend to students in dormitories.

“Boys need a matron, and girls need wardens. How could the children have been locked in dormitories unattended? We need a national explanation for this,” he added.

Enforcement mechanisms

Despite several reports generated by the government and independent agencies, the quality assurance officers have failed to enforce recommendations and guidelines, leading to continued deaths in boarding schools. This is despite multiple circulars from the ministry directing field officers to enforce these guidelines.

In 2019, the report titled Status of Education in Kenya: An Audit of Infrastructure and Financing from a Safety Standards Perspective revealed poor disaster preparedness in schools. Conducted by the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) after the death of eight pupils at Precious Talents Academy in Dagoretti, in Nairobi due to a classroom collapse, the survey covered 213 schools across 21 counties.

The report found that 72 per cent of these schools were secondary, 22 per cent primary, 6 per cent special schools, and 1 per cent tertiary. It revealed that many school managements were unaware of the prescribed safety standards, raising questions about enforcement mechanisms. It also found that many teachers and learners were unaware of the school’s safety precautions, with only half of the sampled schools having provided safety induction.

Education sector players are calling for strict enforcement of the school safety manual, which requires school management/boards to establish mechanisms and procedures to ensure stakeholders are knowledgeable about disaster prevention measures and steps to reduce their impact.

The report indicted school management for neglecting safety measures, highlighting that many schools continue to ignore safety guidelines. Another report released this year by Usawa Agenda revealed that most boarding schools are unsafe for children, with spacing between student beds in dormitories below the required guidelines.

The report noted that less than half of the surveyed boarding schools adhered to safety guidelines, citing issues from faulty structures to deadly stampedes, and described schools as the latest death traps in Kenya.

According to the 2008 School Safety Standards Manual, schools are required to ensure a minimum spacing of 1.2 meters between beds, a corridor width of at least two meters, and doorways that are at least five feet wide and open outwards. Dormitory doors must remain unlocked from outside when learners are inside, and each dormitory should have two doors and an additional emergency exit labeled “Emergency Exit.” Windows must be without grills and easy to open, and fire extinguishing equipment should be functional and strategically placed with fire alarms easily accessible.

Claire Omollo task force

The manual also mandates regular spot checks by teachers and administration before learners go to bed, maintaining a daily roll call, and prohibiting visitors in the dormitory. Schools are required to post evacuation maps at every entrance and exit and maintain functional, well-maintained fire-fighting equipment. Fire drills should be conducted at least twice a year, overseen by the Ministry of Education, school boards, and the Ministry of Public Works.

In 2017, the Claire Omollo task force made 68 recommendations to address arson in schools, most of which were to be implemented within six months to a year. However, many of these recommendations remain unaddressed. The task force proposed measures such as 24-hour CCTV surveillance, sniffer dog checks, metal detector checks, and adequate security lighting. It also recommended secure perimeter fencing, well-vetted security guards, and County Security and Intelligence Committee representation in County Education Boards.

The team also proposed that representation of the County Security and Intelligence Committee in the County Education Boards be effected.

Overall, the report proposed that a multi-disciplinary team be set up to oversee and monitor the implementation of the recommendations of report findings.

The tragic incidents of the Kyanguli Secondary School fire in 2001, the St Kizito Secondary School massacre in 1991, and other school fires and disasters have highlighted severe safety concerns, including overcrowding, inadequate fire safety measures, and student unrest. These tragedies underscore the urgent need for stricter safety regulations and improved measures to prevent such disasters.