School Fires In Kenya- Education Ministry Guidelines On Prevention And Handling

The Ministry of Education has come up with guidelines on how to deal with school unrests, strikes and fires. Get all the guidelines below;

Proposed strategies against schools unrests in Kenya

1. Guidance and Counseling departments in schools to be strengthened.
2. Principals to engage loyal students to collect and provide intelligence information to the school’s administration.
3. Principals to stick in their institutions most of the times and minimize unnecessary movements – principals and their deputies must sleep in the school compound.
4. Principals and BOMs to hold frequent dialogue meetings (barazas) with students.
5. Teachers to reassure any category of students who for one reason or the other may feel marginalized.
6. Students must be kept busy most of the times through entertainments and co-curriculum activities, when out of class.
7. Parental involvement in the affairs of the students through clinics.
8. Vetted motivational speakers and spiritual leaders should be invited frequently to engage the students.
9. The schools administration to ensure early syllabus coverage and proper revision mechanism to prevent fear of exams and stress.
10. Principals should avoid high handedness while dealing with students indiscipline issues especially expelling of students, corporal punishment, forced repetition and ridiculing poor performers.

• Principals must have fire brigade phone numbers.
• Principals should avoid living in ivory towers and be social to the entire school community members and to the students
• The school administration must speak publicly in favour of programs that bring about peace and harmony among students.
• BOMs should engage trained guards sourced from respected firms to guard schools.

15. All schools should start peace clubs to enhance harmony amongst students.

• Schools administration to conduct periodic fire drill sessions for students.
• Ensure provision of fire extinguishers in all important rooms frequented by students.
• Dormitories must have three double doors opening to the outside, one of them being on the side and marked emergency exit.
• Windows should have no grills and should all open to the outside.
• All visitors entering the school must be thoroughly screened.
• Dormitories must be guarded for 24 hours and be properly fenced to keep away intruders.
• Principals should always inform security personnel, SCDEs and the CDEs office whenever there is unrest of students in their school.
• School administration should not impose very strong and unrealistic rules on students.
• The schools administration should Invent areas and activities that make students happier and less stressed, and give them adequate time for themselves
• Embark on recovery after episodes of indiscipline; rehabilitate errant students in a humane manner, and make them feel wanted.
• School canteen should never be run by outsiders.
• New comers must be properly vetted before admission.
• Principals should never work too close to their home for their own security and respect.
• Principals should avoid over staying in a station too long because familiarity breeds contempt.
• BOMs should insure the schools infrastructural facilities.
• Principals should inform parents through an SMS whenever they send students home for any purpose.
• The school administration should secure the main switch of the school to prevent students from tampering with electricity at night.
• Principals must report any drug dealers peddling drugs to students to the security agents.
• The schools administration should forge cordial relationship with members of the community neighboring the school.
• Principals are advised to avoid eying their colleague’s stations and concentrate on building theirs.
• Principals must remain neutral politically and avoid supporting certain Politicians openly.
• Various stakeholders should stick to their roles as stipulated in the basic Education act and avoid overstepping on the mandate of others to prevent conflict.
• BOMs to be forwarding minutes of students indiscipline cases requiring CEB’s attention promptly for action.
• Students coming from midterm or holiday should be frisked thoroughly before entering the school’s gate and the school administration must conduct snap inspections in the student’s dormitories to ensure that there is no any dangerous stuff in their boxes.
• Ban of sub county and county mocks exams to be enforced.
• Team work spirit must be embraced by all in the school.
• Guided democracy in the selection of the prefect body.
• Avoid giving students unrealistic targets.
• Suggestion box to be placed in a strategic point for students to air their grievances freely. Grievances expressed must be addressed promptly.
• Principals should make follow up on cases of missing students in their schools at all times.
• Installation of CCTV cameras in the school to help man strategic areas.
• Introduction of Biometric Registration Technology for students while moving in and out of school.