Train teachers with basic life-saving skills, government told

Evans Muthaura, a pupil who drowned and died in a water tank at Rwanyange Primary School in North Imenti, Meru County. [File Courtesy]

A civil society organisation is calling on the government to equip teachers in Primary and High schools with skills to save lives.

‘We demand that the Ministry of Education and Teachers Service Commission institute mandatory and continuous training for teachers and school heads in first aid, basic life support, emergency medical response, risk assessment for co-curricular activities, and crisis management and communication,’ part of their statement, sent to the newsroom, reads.

Known as the Elimu Bora Working Group (EBWG), the organisation expressed its concern following a spate of student deaths around the country.

'The tragedies raise concern about safety, supervision, emergency preparedness, and institutional accountability. Recent deaths point to a disturbing and recurring trend of negligence and weak enforcement of safety standards in schools,’ they criticised.

The most recent school death involves a grade nine pupil who died under mysterious circumstances.

Moses Joseph Onyoni, who attended school at Moi Comprehensive School in Nakuru City, collapsed in class and was pronounced dead on arrival at Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital.

His death provoked a demonstration by parents who carried the boy’s body to the school compound, protesting his death and demanding greater accountability from the management of the school.

Other concerning incidents according to EBWG include: Two learners drowning in Tana-River while under a teacher’s supervision, Jimmy Anaro: a form three student who died after complaining of chest pains and was not allowed to leave for treatment, Brian Sifuna: another form three student who died after ingesting a chemical believed to have been accessed through a broken-into chemistry laboratory, and Samuel Munyao: a grade ten student who was run down by the school water truck; said to have been faulty.

Other cases the organisation mentioned are the case of a Njoro Girls student, Brenda Akinyi, whose parents were only called after her condition worsened, and Consolata Nduku, from Machakos, who died after a delayed medical intervention.

According to EBWG, the country should have learnt from the 2024 school fire at Endarasha Hillside Academy that claimed many students’ lives.

‘The persistent failure to hold legally mandated protections is a systemic breakdown that demands urgent accountability and decisive corrective action by the William Ruto regime,’ they stated.

Beyond training, the organisation is calling for, among other things, reinstatement of the Edu-Afya medical insurance scheme to ensure all learners have access to prompt and adequate healthcare. They also want the government to develop, review, and fully implement a comprehensive national learner safety and emergency response framework applicable to all schools.

EBWG has also called for independent, transparent investigations to unearth the truth regarding all recent deaths of learners and ensure accountability where negligence is proven.