MoE laxity has fuelled mushrooming of unregistered schools

The mushrooming of unregistered schools in various counties has been attributed to the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) laxity in exercising control over the establishment of these institutions.

A recent survey by Education News has found that the emergence of these unofficial schools is a growing concern.

Last year, MoE officials’ crackdown in several sub-counties in the Western, Nyanza, and Rift Valley recommended the closure of numerous schools not recognized by the ministry.

These illegal institutions were found in major towns and developing urban centres.

A review of these schools revealed alarming conditions students face in their pursuit of education. Many learners were crowded into small, poorly lit rooms.

Additionally, most unregistered schools lacked qualified teachers, with some upper primary students being taught by instructors with only Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) qualifications.

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Sanitary facilities among the visited schools were an eyesore. Poorly built toilets shared by teachers and pupils demonstrated the need for MoE and public health officers to pull up their socks. Several schools also lacked clean water as boda boda riders were engaged to transport water from unknown sources.

Further investigation showed that some of these schools did not have copies of the curriculum designs for the standardized learning areas. Learning materials, such as textbooks, were severely lacking, forcing students to depend on the teachers’ copies.

Late last year, several boarding schools were found to be violating the MoE’s minimum requirements.

This follows the tragic Endarasha fire, which led to the loss of learners’ lives. Despite this disaster, many schools nationwide continue to ignore registration regulations due to ongoing laxity within the MoE.

Education News has learned that a shortage of field officers, insufficient funding, and the failure to establish an Education School Quality Assurance Council—as recommended by the High Court—have undermined the MoE’s operations in the field.

By Kaptich Tarus