PS Kipsang’ – Govt’ to Abolish Boarding Schools for Grades 1 to 9

Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang’ while speaking during the official opening ceremony of the 18th Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) in Mombasa on Tuesday, December 6 announced that the government is planning to scrap boarding schools for students in Grades I to 9.

PS Kipsang’ said that the move will allow children to better engage with their parents.

“As we move forward, day schooling will be the direction because that is the only way we shall be able to engage with our children. The first years of our learning between grade 1 and 9, the direction government will be taking is day schooling,” he said.

According to the PS, parents need to socialize and be with their children, and the only way for that to happen is to be in the day school environment.

Also Read: Atwoli Wants Return of 8-4-4 System

Moreover, Kipsang’ noted that parents should co-parent with teachers. Adding that allowing students to stay at home will enable them “acquire the values that parents expect of them.”

Likewise, the PS explained that Kenya ranks among the countries with the highest number of students enrolled in boarding schools, sitting at a high of 28% compared to a neutral 15%.

“28 per cent of our children are in boarding schools. Globally, rarely would you get any country that goes beyond 15% even in the African setup. Ours is the highest anywhere.” PS Kipsang’ noted.

This move comes as the government tries to ensure a seamless transition to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) which will see students adopt a 2-6-3-3-3 curriculum taking over from the 32-year-old 8-4-4 curriculum.

In the new curriculum, classes will start from Grade 1 to Grade 12.