The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has asked the government to consider changing all the boarding schools into day schools as one way of preventing a wave of unrest that has been witnessed in several schools across the country.
Sammy Bor, the KNUT Secretary for Eldoret East branch in Uasin Gishu County, however, said all schools must meet the standards of boarding before transformation into day.
“Changing schools from boarding to day may help in a way, but only if the government can meet the standards of the boarding schools,” Bor said.
However, the KNUT official has advised students to use correct channels to present their grievances to the school administration, rather than resorting to the destruction of properties.
He further said that parents, teachers, school administration, and the board of management should look for alternate ways to reduce on costs of rebuilding destroyed properties as a result of the unrest.
“The cost of reconstructing dormitories razed down by students is too high. Parents, teachers, the administration, and the board of management should look for a way on how they can make it so that at least it is not tough for the parents as far as the payment of this money is concerned,” noted the KNUT official.
There have been concerns that schools were taking advantage of the unrest to set exorbitant fees for parents.
So far, over 30 schools have been affected by the unrest, with some being closed down after dormitories were burnt down.
