Disruption of school calendar should be avoided at all costs

It is common to hear voices that loudly proclaim they are working to make this country a better place for children. Despite the many strikes by teachers, well-intentioned steps are taken every year, too, in an effort to improve education.

Yet there are things that have been happening that indicate things are not improving. The prospects continue to be bleak for several students from poor backgrounds who find themselves out of school because of lack of school fees.

Such students often grow up in poverty, with few economic opportunities and only get a shot at future prospective good life through public schools.

The start of the first school term this year was delayed by a teacher's strike which compelled students to stay home longer than was necessary.

In parts of northern Kenya, learning is yet to resume because teachers in those areas have declined to go back to work, fearing for their safety despite assurances by government that security has been beefed up.

The matter of pay hike for teachers, though in court, could take longer to resolve, given the tough stands taken by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the teachers unions - the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Teachers Union (KUPPET).

Clearly, the education sector is in dire need of streamlining, but the Government is yet to show a firm hand to assure the public something is being done to address outstanding issues.

The high cost of education in Kenya has been cited for putting education out of the reach of the majority. The need to remedy the situation prompted the setting up of a task force by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The recommendations by the task force, which was chaired by Dr Kilemi Mwiria, raised the hopes of many parents who expected implementation in the first term. This was not done. It means school fees have not been capped as was recommended and schools are at liberty to levy fees any way they want.

The fee chargeable by most schools, besides an array of levies for projects that sometimes never get completed, is usually on the higher side.

Only two weeks after schools reopened, several schools have sent students home for fee balances.

While it is appreciated that schools need funds to run, this happened too soon. The sending away of students from school after only a few days is also drastic and inconsiderate given the harsh economic environment most parents find themselves in.

For first term alone, many of the boarding secondary schools charged amounts that ranged between Sh30,000 and Sh60,000.

It does not make sense to disrupt learning this early in the term. Putting learners away from school greatly compromises educational standards.

It is a fact that schools fond of sending students away for school fees find it difficult to compete with the best performers who, incidentally, rarely send learners home for fees.

It is a vindication of the fact that learners should be allowed to stay in school to improve standards.

The grandstanding between the teachers' unions, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in the education sector does not help the situation. It maybe a pointer to the waning faith stakeholders have in the leadership of the ministry.

There is need for more involvement by the Government to sort out the mess in the sector. The only way to ensure continuity and improve academics is by limiting disruptions, especially for candidates who will be sitting their exams later in the year.