State should inspect schools regularly

I shed tears for parents of Stephjoy Secondary School in Limuru who lost their sons. May God comfort you.

Meanwhile, the Government has to step up its game. In most high schools, parents are not allowed near the dorms. Thus, they don’t know if their children sleep in triple deckers. They don’t know whether the allowance of space in the corridors and beds is enough for safe escape in case of emergency.

The Government must do regular inspections so that owners of schools, who maybe driven by greed, do not increase student population without expanding necessary infrastructure like dormitories, classrooms and libraries. How many children are we going to lose in fires before anyone takes the matter seriously? How many times must we hear dorm doors were small, locked from outside or all windows grilled?

Any parent would rather have their misbehaving child jump from a window to attend a local disco than come home in a casket. Indiscipline can be corrected. Death is final.

Those responsible for school inspection are sleeping on the job and should be held accountable before we have a repeat of what happened in Bombolulu Secondary School 17 years ago. Inspection officials should draw up a schedule to inspect every school, public or private.