Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu has been called to testify before the National Assembly Committee on Education after a late announcement regarding changes to school opening dates caused widespread confusion and inconvenience.
The summons came in response to public outcry following the Ministry of Education’s last-minute communication about the rescheduling of school start dates.
On Monday, the Ministry of Education announced that school opening would be delayed from Monday, April 29, to Monday, May 6, 2024.
The announcement was made via a circular sent out around 1:00 am, leading to public criticism due to its late timing and lack of prior notice.
Parents expressed their dissatisfaction, noting that many students were already en route to school when the delay was announced.
Consequently, a number of students were left stranded at bus stations Monday morning.
The Ministry of Education justified the postponement due to ongoing floods affecting various parts of the country.
In a statement, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu explained that the ministry had directed field officers to gather data from Basic Education Learning Institutions across the nation to assess the impact of the heavy rains.
“Reports received at the Ministry of Education corroborated with data from other relevant Government agencies, show that a number of schools in various regions of the country have been adversely affected by the rains,” Machogu stated.
Despite acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the last-minute communication, the Education Minister stood by his decision, citing the importance of learner safety.
He emphasized that the well-being of students is the top priority, even if it means making adjustments on short notice.
