Schools Experience Surge In Enrolment As Schools Receive Student

Schools have experienced a surge in enrolment as a large number of students have reported including those from private schools. As expected, students and teachers alike are struggling with the challenge of social distancing.

Yesterday on January 4, 2021, as schools received students, a number of students did not report to schools. Some schools staggered reopening dates in order to avoid congestion.

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At Starehe Boys Centre, Form Four Candidates reported on the first day while form three students reported the following day on Tuesday. Form two students shall report to school on Wednesday. On the other hand, St. Georges Girls Nairobi shall continue receiving learners up to this Friday.

Schools reopened yesterday after a coronavirus enforced closure of all learning institutions in March 2020. Universities and Colleges reopened earlier that institutions of basic education as it was argued that they were able to manage the situation with COVID-19 better than secondary and primary schools.

Public schools were already overcrowded and the situation will get even worse as learners from private schools also stream in. This is because some private schools had to close due to a lack of funds to keep paying their bills such as rent and salaries.

The owners of some of the private schools resorted to other business ventures such as the rearing of chicken to keep themselves economically afloat.

In Murangá for instance, parents have resorted to taking their children to public schools. Murangá Technology Primary School Headmistress Ms. Beatrice Wachira revealed that the population of the school went up by just over 400 from the previous 980 students in the school.

The Headmistress said that the capacity of the school has become overwhelming and that they might decide not to admit more learners as they will be too many for the school.

She revealed that they have added more water points in light of the huge number of students as required by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Long queues have been reported in many schools as parents are seeking admission to public schools for their children.

However, the situation is different as both private and public schools received learners in school despite a myriad of challenges faced by both parents and learners including transport crisis as many learners traveled from the countryside.

The turn out was impressive also, as confirmed by Regional Commissioner Coast (RC) John Elungata when he visited Maji ya Chumvi Primary School in Samburu sub-county, Kwale County to assess how schools have reopened.

The region recorded 85 percent learner turn-out on the first day and more learners are expected to keep reporting to schools after an extraordinarily long holiday.

Kilifi and Taita-Taveta Counties also received a good number of learners while Lamu and Tana River Counties had a low 75 percent learner turn-out which the RC attributed to the pastoral lifestyle of the two counties.

Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Education Prof George Magoha told public schools to allow admission of learners who had been in private schools and wanted to shift from them.

The CS’ directive is expected to lead to a very high population of learners in public schools after some private institutions chose to close shop.

Private schools have since appealed to the national government to assist them with some funds to cope with the challenges arising from the COVID-19 global pandemic as schools reopen throughout the country.

Chemitan Academy Director Leanard Koech said that private schools are suffering, imploring the government to rescue the situation.


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Enrollment surgelearner turn-out in schoolsMurangá Technology Primary SchoolPrivate Schoolspublic schoolsReopening of schoolsSocial Distancing in SchoolsSt. Georges Girls NairobiStarehe Boys Centre
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