Let schools second term run smoothly

It’s back to school from Tuesday after the short April holidays. And as the second starts, parents, teachers and learners will be anxious over what lies ahead. Indeed, there is a lot to look forward to under the school calendar. Chief among these is the continued roll-out of the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Already, the Ministry of Education has promised that all teachers will have been trained on the new system by August. We hope this will effectively stem anxiety over implementation of the new curriculum. Grade Three pupils are the first learners to undergo the new system of education, hailed as an improved version that supports nurturing individual talent and capability.

Still, parents had to dig deeper into their pockets to provide additional money following increased cost of living. While these additional costs are in some instances justifiable going by prevailing economic conditions, we hope that no learner will be sent back home. The government, too, must disburse money for capitation to schools in time to ensure learning is not disrupted.

There have been complaints that most schools are unable to buy learning materials, pay suppliers and workers due to delayed disbursement of funds. Second Term has in the past has been problematic with cases of student unrest being reported. We hope that any differences arising in schools will be amicably addressed by the teachers, learners and parents. Finally, we wish all learners all the best as they prepare for the future.