The National Assembly is set to look into the educational calendar as it plans to grill top education officials to establish whether a tight education programme was to blame for the rise in school burning incidents that have been witnessed in the country over the past month.
More than 20 secondary schools in the country have been shut due to arson, despite the government issuing a strong warning to students who are burning schools.
Many have since been arraigned in court even as the arson cases still linger with the latest being Jamhuri High School where fire razed a dormitory which houses 300 students.
The legislatures have noted that it is high time the National Assembly’s Education Committee delved into the matter and come up with a lasting solution to tame the loss of millions of shillings through arsons.
Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha is now under pressure to investigate the rampant cases.
He earlier stated that the government will not take responsibility for the loss incurred by schools following the fire cases.
Magoha downplayed claims that the arsons are related to the coronavirus pandemic since such incidences have been witnessed way before the pandemic came.
“Anyone planning to burn a building should take note that when you are caught you are not going to transfer to any public school in this country. you will go back and your parents pay for the damage you caused. Secondly, it will remain in your record such that when you come looking for a job later in life , it will haunt you,” said Magoha
Speaking at Gem constituency during an official opening of a classroom at Wagwer primary school. Gem member of perliament Elisha Ochieng stressed on the need for Kenya to go through a process of self-retrospection and re-look at the education calendar and distinctively analyse, review and see whether it is impacting in the burning of schools.
He called on parents and the society at large to play their roles effectively through talking to their children and instilling discipline on them.
