Parents will have to take their primary school children to day schools starting next year when learning resumes on January 23.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’ has said the government will from January do away with boarding primary schools for pupils learning in grades 1 to 9.
This implies that students joining the junior secondary school will join their home area schools to be close to their parents.
“We must create a way in which we can be with our children and the only way is through day schooling. The first nine years of learning that are Grades 1 to 9, the direction that the government is taking will be day schooling,” Dr Kipsang’ told teachers attending the annual Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) in Mombasa yesterday.
The PS reiterated that parents have the primary responsibility as first educators to walk with their children and ensure they acquire the values they desire them to have.
“We cannot outsource our responsibility as we parents, we only co-parent with teachers, but we cannot outsource parenting from the teachers. Going forward, day schooling will be the direction; that’s the only way we shall be able to engage with our children,” he said.
Kenya has the highest percentage of its young people globally in boarding schools , standing at 28 percent, which is against the global standard rate of 15 percent.
On Monday, Charles Ong’ondo, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) director general, said junior secondary schools will be hosted in primary schools because their current teachers can midwife better into senior schools.
“You are the best people to transit these learners physically. When they break their voice you will guide them; you are the midwives as they transition from socialisation to exploration,” Prof Ongóndo told the KEPSHA meeting.
