40 schools face closure

Omoro.

Omoro District Education Department is set to close down at least 39 schools over poor education standards.

According to the district education officials, some private nursery, primary and secondary schools were found to be operating below minimum education standards in a recent district assessment.
Some of the schools on the verge of closure include 17 kindergartens, 22 primary schools and a privately owned teachers’ training institute.
If these schools are closed, at least 9,630 learners will have to look for new schools.

According to Mr Gasper Mwaka, the Omoro District inspector of schools, the affected schools did not meet 50 per cent of the basic requirements and minimum standards set by the ministry of Education.

Mr Mwaka also noted that the affected schools did not have copies of the National Curriculum Development Centre-approved curricula for various classes/levels.
He, therefore, recommended that the schools should not be allowed to open for the second term.

Other issues raised by the education officials for the closure of the affected schools include illegal boarding facilities, poor health and sanitation at the facilities, poor security for the learners and using unqualified staff.

“We cannot allow such schools to operate and yet they are offering poor quality of education to our learners,” Ms Caroline Nyakorach, the district secretary for education, said. She urged the proprietors of the affected learning institutions to act in line with their directives.

Early this year, the ministry of Education said it would close down all private schools that do not meet education standards.