It is coming as a rude shock to many Kenyans especially from the aspiring political circles as the tough talking Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha issues a ban on the issuance of success cards to examination candidates bearing political portraits.
Speaking in Kakamega, Prof. Magoha urged county commissioners and education officials to destroy any success cards with political portraits issued to students who are set to sit for national examinations in March this year.
“Ensure that you destroy any success messages sent to students bearing political portraits without fear or favour. Our children are not in politics they are just children,” he directed.
He was speaking at Mwiyala Secondary School during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Competency-Based Curriculum(CBC) classrooms.
He said the government will not allow strangers in examination centres during the national examinations urging contractors to hasten the construction and finish before the exams.
The Government is constructing 10 000 classrooms for grade 7 junior secondary schools, the first phase will involve 5200 classrooms and the process started three weeks ago.
“I am very glad to say that the fastest ones are almost finishing, In Kilifi, all the 144 classrooms which are being built are on rooftops the same as those in Rift Valley. Education officers are also monitoring the construction,” he said.
He noted that instructions from the government are very clear that we can deliver without stealing government money.
He urged the contractors to move faster than the April deadline due to the interruptions of the national examinations.
“Examinations will be starting at the beginning of March this year so if we can all complete outbuildings before as I have been assured by very many or latest by the beginning of March it will give us time to focus on the exams and allow us to start the second phase at the end of the exam which is in April,” he pointed out.
“It is an examination term, we are not going to allow visitors in schools, “he said.
On school fees, CS Magoha warned teachers against sending students home reminding them that the government has already disbursed capitation to schools.
“There is actually no need for any teacher to rush to send anybody’s child home over fee balances. I want to reiterate that primary education is completely free together with day secondary schools,” he added.
The government according to Prof. Magoha has released Ksh 16.8billion to schools for the third term.
Out of the money, Ksh 2.11 billion has been released to primary schools while Ksh 14.7 billion disbursed to secondary schools across the country.
He warned that the government will take stern action against school heads who send students home for school fees.
On drug testing in schools, Magoha dismissed reports that the Ministry has made it a policy and mandatory requirement for all schools to conduct drug testing before students are allowed.
He said drug testing emanated from Maranda high school where the school was burned twice a month forcing the school board to arrive at the decision of drug testing for indiscipline students.