Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has been summoned to appear before the National Assembly Committee on Education to address the effects of last-minute changes in school opening dates.
Machogu is expected to meet with MPs for questioning regarding the impacts of a sudden communication announcing changes to the school opening dates. The MPs are particularly concerned about how these changes affect the term dates.
On Monday, the Ministry of Education announced changes to the school opening dates. Learners, who were originally scheduled to begin reporting to school on Monday, April 29, were instructed to report from May 6, 2024. However, the circular from the ministry was sent out around 1.00 am, sparking public uproar over the timing of the communication.
Many parents expressed dissatisfaction with the late notice, as some students had already begun their travel to schools. Consequently, on Monday morning, numerous students were stranded at bus stations across the country.
The Education Ministry attributed the postponement of the school opening to ongoing floods. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu stated that the ministry had directed field officers to gather data from all Basic Education Learning Institutions nationwide, where adverse effects of the heavy rains were reported.
“Reports received at the Ministry of Education, corroborated with data from other relevant Government agencies, show that a number of schools in various regions of the country have been adversely affected by the rains,” Machogu explained.
Despite facing criticism for the timing of the announcement, the Minister defended his decision, emphasizing that the safety of learners was of utmost importance.
