Ministry promotes, moves 98 officers to check quality in schools

Education CS Fred Matiang'i and PS Belio Kipsang

The Ministry of Education has reshuffled 98 quality assurance officers across the country.

According to a circular released by Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, the officials must report to their new stations by next week.

"All officers posted should report to their new stations on or before July 7. The ministry will take action to stop salaries of those who will not have reported within the deadline given," said Dr Kipsang.

According to the June 27 communication, the decision to move the staff follows their recent promotions.

"In order to enhance quality delivery, it has been found necessary to post officers who have served in their current stations for a period of three years and above," said Kipsang.

Education Standards Quality Assurance Council officers are deployed at county and sub-county levels to carry out standards assessment of all educational institutions and report on the general quality of education.

The move comes in light of a Ministry of Education report that returned a shocking verdict on effectiveness of the quality assistance officers.

An investigation commissioned by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i established that standards assessment were not undertaken in most schools for more than one year, contrary to the requirement that assessments be done at least once a term in primary schools and once a year in secondary schools.

"In some cases, there were no investigation reports on the unrest and the ones available were shallow, lacked essential details and were poorly written," says the report on last year's school fires.